Wednesday, October 28, 2009 KABUL: The Taliban claimed responsibility Wednesday for a fatal attack in central Kabul, saying it was the "first step" in a campaign of violence aimed at disrupting an upcoming presidential election run-off. At least three UN staff members were among the dead following the attack on a guesthouse in a busy shopping and hotel district of central Kabul, a UN official said earlier. "We claim responsibility," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told media by phone."This is the first step, as we have warned that we will disrupt the second round of the elections," he said, referring to the November 7 run-off of the presidential election.Speaking from an undisclosed location, he said three militants wearing explosives-packed suicide vests and armed with automatic weapons were involved in the raid. The attack began at around 5:30 am (0100 GMT). Police said at least one of the attackers had been killed, and several police officers were among the wounded. The Taliban have called for a boycott of the run-off, threatening violent consequences for anyone who votes. Almost 200 violent incidents around the first vote were attributed to the Taliban, including amputations of fingers marked with purple ink as proof of voting, and rocket and grenade attacks on polling stations.
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
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