Death and destruction recurs in Turkey as fresh quake shakes southeast

Mangaluru, Mar 14: A teenage girl student of a pre university college at Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district reportedly died of high fever, suspected to be dengue. 

The deceased has been identified as Misriya (17), the second daughter of Mayyaddi and Ramlath couple from Jyotinagar area in Moodbidri. She was a science stream student of first PUC at a private college. 

She was suffering from high fever since some days and died on Sunday late night. It is learnt that the girl was suffering from high fever for past few days. According to sources, she breathed her last as her white blood cells dropped drastically. 

It is suspected that this is a case of dengue. However, only the test report will confirm the exact cause of the death.  

Mayyaddi, who works in a gulf country, had come down to native place after knowing that his daughter was suffering from fever.

Taluk health officer Dr Sujay Bhandary said, “If dengue and malaria cases are admitted to government hospitals, we get immediate information. However, from private hospitals, only when the report is sent to Malaria centre we come to know of the case and take suitable survey. Misriya’s death case is yet to be reported to the Malaria centre.

“So far this year, no death is reported in Moodbidri taluk due to dengue. If this is confirmed, then it will be the first case. We will investigate the case and take suitable action immediately,” he said.

Maddur, Mar 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of being busy digging his grave, while he was striving for the development of the country and the welfare of the poor, as he also declared that blessings of the people is his biggest protection shield. On his sixth visit this year to Karnataka, where Assembly elections are due by May, he also asserted that the "double engine" government is a necessity for the fast-paced development of the state.

"Amid the efforts of the double engine government for the development of the country and the progress of its people, what is Congress and its associates doing? ...Congress is dreaming about digging the kabr (grave) of Modi," said the PM, who inaugurated the 118 Km long Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway project here in Mandya district, Addressing a public gathering here, he said, "Congress is busy digging the grave of Modi, while Modi is busy building Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. Congress is busy digging Modi's grave, while Modi is busy in improving the lives of poor."

"Congress people who are dreaming about digging the grave of Modi, don't know that the blessings of crores of mothers, sisters, daughters, and people is the biggest protection shield for Modi," he added. The Expressway will reduce the travel time between the two cities from around three hours to about 75 minutes, according to officials. Prior to 2014, Modi said, "it was a coalition government (at the Centre) running with the support of various types of people."

"It did not leave any stone unturned to destroy poor men and poor families. The money that was there for the development of the poor, thousands of crores of rupees of it was looted by the Congress government," he claimed.

Congress never bothered about pains and sufferings of the poor, he alleged, adding that "In 2014 when you (people) gave me the opportunity to serve you, it paved the way for the formation of a government for the poor in the country, the government which understood the pain and suffering of the poor." The BJP government has made all efforts to serve the poor and to alleviate their sufferings, the Prime Minister said. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, actor-turned-politician and Mandya Lok Sabha MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, who recently announced support to BJP, among others were present in the event.

Earlier in the day, Modi threw flower petals back at the cheering crowd at several places as he was given a rousing welcome during a massive road show in the district headquarters city of Mandya. He enthusiastically waved at the big crowd, who had lined up on both sides of the route, as the ruling BJP appeared focused on winning a good number of seats in the Old Mysuru region. The Prime Minister picked up the shower petals which got piled up on the bonnet of his car and was seen hurling them back at the crowd. He also got down from his car and greeted folk artistes who staged a performance to welcome him.

Damascus, Mar 22: An Israeli airstrike early Wednesday targeted the international airport of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, causing material damage in the second attack on the facility this month, state media report.

State news agency SANA, quoting an unnamed military official, did not mention if the strike caused any deaths or injuries. It said warplanes fired the missiles toward Aleppo, Syria's largest city and once commercial centre, while flying over the Mediterranean.

The airport has been one of the main channels for the flow of aid into the country after the February 6 earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, killing over 50,000 people, including more than 6,000 in Syria.

On March 7, an Israeli airstrike put the airport out of service for several days and flights were rerouted to two other airports in the war-torn country until the damage was fixed.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations.

Israel has acknowledged, however, that it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.

Israel has targeted airports and seaports in the government-held parts of Syria in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.