Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
Sunday, July 12, 2009 LONDON: Britain's Big Ben is marking its 150th birthday with a celebration in London on Saturday.The booming bell first pealed on July 11, 1859 — a few weeks after the clock in the famous tower above the Houses of Parliament began keeping time.A projection wishing the bell a happy birthday will be broadcast on the south side of the 315-foot (96-meter) tower at about 10 p.m. (2100 GMT; 5 p.m. EDT).Mike McCann, the keeper of the Great Clock, says Big Ben stands as a magnificent example of engineering — and is much-loved.Big Ben's bongs are a cherished feature of life in London. They mark the hour and are carried globally by the BBC.The event is one of several honoring the 150th anniversary of the British landmark.
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