08:56 22/06/2015
Karachi - An intense heat wave killed more than 120 people over
the weekend in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, officials said on
Monday, as the electricity grid crashed during the first days of the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The outages hit large portions of
Pakistan's financial heart and home to 20 million people, where
residents lit bonfires in protest.
"Hundreds of patients suffering
from the heat wave are being treated at government hospitals," Saeed
Mangnejo, health secretary for the province of Sindh, told Reuters.
Temperature
soared to 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday and hovered at 43 degrees
Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, coinciding with a surge of demand
for power as families observed Ramadan, when Muslims fast during
daylight hours.
Both the
federal government and K-Electric, the private company that supplies
Karachi with power, had promised there would be no outages during the
time when families gathered to break their fast at sunset.
Officials
from K-Electric were not immediately available for comment on the scale
or cause of the outages, which left many families without water,
air-conditioning, fans and light.
One of the Karachi's biggest
hospitals, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, reported 85 deaths
from heat stroke and dehydration.
Thirty-five patients died from
heat stroke in other hospitals, doctors said. Two more died from
heat-related complications, Mangnejo said.
Corruption and
mismanagement mean Pakistan usually suffers eight hours of daily power
cuts even in its wealthy urban areas. Those in poorer areas are hit even
harder.
The cash-strapped government sells power for less than
the cost of production, but its late payments to suppliers cause a
chronic shortage.
Many wealthy or influential families and factory
owners exacerbate the problem by refusing to pay their bills or cutting
deals with corrupt power officials.
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Monday, 22 June 2015
Blasts in Egypt's North Sinai wound police, civilians
10:13 22/06/2015
Ismailia - At least eight policemen and civilians were wounded on Monday when explosions hit two houses in Egypt's El-Arish, the provincial capital of the North Sinai region, security and medical sources said.
Militants planted two bombs in two adjacent houses, both inhabited by police, the sources said. The force of the explosions led to the collapse of large parts of the homes, injuring three policemen and five civilians.
The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
Egypt is facing a Sinai-based insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the army toppled Islamist president Mohammed Morsi after mass protests against his rule in 2013.
The most active militant group is Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, the Sunni group that controls large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Egypt executed six members of Sinai Province for carrying out an attack on soldiers near Cairo last year, their lawyer said in May.
Ismailia - At least eight policemen and civilians were wounded on Monday when explosions hit two houses in Egypt's El-Arish, the provincial capital of the North Sinai region, security and medical sources said.
Militants planted two bombs in two adjacent houses, both inhabited by police, the sources said. The force of the explosions led to the collapse of large parts of the homes, injuring three policemen and five civilians.
The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
Egypt is facing a Sinai-based insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the army toppled Islamist president Mohammed Morsi after mass protests against his rule in 2013.
The most active militant group is Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, the Sunni group that controls large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Egypt executed six members of Sinai Province for carrying out an attack on soldiers near Cairo last year, their lawyer said in May.
South Korea sees 2 more MERS deaths
12:41 22/06/2015
Seoul - Two people died in South Korea of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and three others were diagnosed, officials said on Monday.
The latest cases, which included a 97-year-old man being treated for cancer, brought the death toll to 27 in the recent outbreak, and the total number of confirmed cases to 169, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The latest cases were already being monitored because the patients had had close contacts with other MERS cases, the Ministry of Health and Welfare was quoted as saying.
The number of people in isolation after suspected exposure fell on Monday to 3 833 from 4 035, the report said. Around 9 300 people have been held and released after the 14-day incubation period since the outbreak started a month ago.
The fatality rate, which was around 40% in the Middle East where the virus was originally identified three years ago, has crept up from under 10% to the current level of 14% in South Korea, figures from the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed last week.
South Korea is dealing with the biggest outbreak of the disease outside the Middle East, almost entirely centred on hospitals.
Seoul - Two people died in South Korea of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and three others were diagnosed, officials said on Monday.
The latest cases, which included a 97-year-old man being treated for cancer, brought the death toll to 27 in the recent outbreak, and the total number of confirmed cases to 169, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The latest cases were already being monitored because the patients had had close contacts with other MERS cases, the Ministry of Health and Welfare was quoted as saying.
The number of people in isolation after suspected exposure fell on Monday to 3 833 from 4 035, the report said. Around 9 300 people have been held and released after the 14-day incubation period since the outbreak started a month ago.
The fatality rate, which was around 40% in the Middle East where the virus was originally identified three years ago, has crept up from under 10% to the current level of 14% in South Korea, figures from the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed last week.
South Korea is dealing with the biggest outbreak of the disease outside the Middle East, almost entirely centred on hospitals.
PDP Gov's Forum: Fayose kicks against Mimiko's emergence
11:26 22/06/2015
Ado Ekiti - There appears to be a fresh crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) as Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has rejected the emergence of Gov. Olesegun Mimiko of Ondo State as the Chairman of the party's Governors' Forum, reports The Nation.
He said the election of Mimiko on Tuesday did not follow due process on grounds that Mimiko defected to the PDP only a year ago.
Fayose has already petitioned the party’s National Working Committee (NWC ) to intervene in the choice of Mimiko before the matter degenerates into a full blown crisis.
Fayose has allegedly rallied some other governors in the party to make a stand against Mimiko’s emergence.
Read more at The Nation.
Ado Ekiti - There appears to be a fresh crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) as Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has rejected the emergence of Gov. Olesegun Mimiko of Ondo State as the Chairman of the party's Governors' Forum, reports The Nation.
He said the election of Mimiko on Tuesday did not follow due process on grounds that Mimiko defected to the PDP only a year ago.
Fayose has already petitioned the party’s National Working Committee (NWC ) to intervene in the choice of Mimiko before the matter degenerates into a full blown crisis.
Fayose has allegedly rallied some other governors in the party to make a stand against Mimiko’s emergence.
Read more at The Nation.
APC governors meet senators, Reps
11:26 22/06/2015
Abuja - In a bid to find a lasting solution to the crisis rocking the party over the outcome of the National Assembly elections, which produced Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are expected to meet with the party’s senators and House of Representatives members, reports The Sun.
The governors alongside the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members have scheduled a meeting with the lawmakers ahead of when the National Assembly resumes on Tuesday.
The meeting will be between the two warring camps in the National Assembly; the Unity Forum and Like Minds.
The meeting is expected to resolve how to share the remaining principal offices in the National Assembly among the two camps.
The remaining leadership positions are: Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip.
Read more at The Sun.
Abuja - In a bid to find a lasting solution to the crisis rocking the party over the outcome of the National Assembly elections, which produced Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are expected to meet with the party’s senators and House of Representatives members, reports The Sun.
The governors alongside the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members have scheduled a meeting with the lawmakers ahead of when the National Assembly resumes on Tuesday.
The meeting will be between the two warring camps in the National Assembly; the Unity Forum and Like Minds.
The meeting is expected to resolve how to share the remaining principal offices in the National Assembly among the two camps.
The remaining leadership positions are: Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip.
Read more at The Sun.
Jega denies being forced to proceed on leave before 2015 elections
12:40 22/06/2015
Lagos - Contrary to insinuations that former President Goodluck Jonathan threatened the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Atathiru Jega to proceed on terminal leave or retire before the general elections, Jega has denied that noting of such happened, reports Thisday.
He described the insinuations as the work of rumour mongers who did not want anything good for Nigeria.
Speaking in Lagos at a programme tagged, ‘Afternoon Tea with Professor Attahiru Mohammed Jega’ by EbonyLife TV, Jega said he was never threatened or asked to proceed on leave or retire by anybody or authority.
He stated that he never contemplated going on leave because he knew there was a job to be done.
He, however, admitted that knowing the nature of the country, he was fully prepared for the worst to happen during the elections.
Read more at Thisday.
Lagos - Contrary to insinuations that former President Goodluck Jonathan threatened the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Atathiru Jega to proceed on terminal leave or retire before the general elections, Jega has denied that noting of such happened, reports Thisday.
He described the insinuations as the work of rumour mongers who did not want anything good for Nigeria.
Speaking in Lagos at a programme tagged, ‘Afternoon Tea with Professor Attahiru Mohammed Jega’ by EbonyLife TV, Jega said he was never threatened or asked to proceed on leave or retire by anybody or authority.
He stated that he never contemplated going on leave because he knew there was a job to be done.
He, however, admitted that knowing the nature of the country, he was fully prepared for the worst to happen during the elections.
Read more at Thisday.
Atiku denies plotting against Buhari
12:39 22/06/2015
Abuja - Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has denied plotting against President Muhammadu Buhari, reports Premium Times.
He said he holds Buhari in the highest esteem and would always remain loyal to him.
Atiku in a statement by his media office on Sunday, alleged a plot by some individuals and groups in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pit him against President Buhari for their selfish interests.
He denied causing disunity in the party because of his ambition in 2019.
He described the allegation as a figment of the imagination of those promoting it and asked Nigerians to ignore it.
Atiku is being accused of been the mastermind of the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President contrary to the party’s choice.
Read more at Premium Times.
Abuja - Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has denied plotting against President Muhammadu Buhari, reports Premium Times.
He said he holds Buhari in the highest esteem and would always remain loyal to him.
Atiku in a statement by his media office on Sunday, alleged a plot by some individuals and groups in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pit him against President Buhari for their selfish interests.
He denied causing disunity in the party because of his ambition in 2019.
He described the allegation as a figment of the imagination of those promoting it and asked Nigerians to ignore it.
Atiku is being accused of been the mastermind of the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President contrary to the party’s choice.
Read more at Premium Times.
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