Flooding in Nepal kills US tourist after boat capsizes

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Officials in Nepal say a tourist from United States died while trying to cross a flooded river in western Nepal and an overcrowded boat crossing another swollen river capsized leaving at least two people missing.

Police official Janak Shahi said 82-year-old Joseph Edward Wheeler was swept down the Paruwa River Thursday and his body was found hours later.

Separately, an overcrowded wooden boat with 100 people on board capsized crossing the Bagmati River south of the capital Katmandu.

Government administrator Madan Bhujel said local villagers, police and army rescuers managed to pull out most of the people while two are still missing.

Flooding and landslides have already killed nearly 300 people in Nepal this month.

Nepal bus crash death toll reaches 47

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Police say 42 more bodies have been recovered after the wreckage of a bus that plunged into a river in west Nepal was recovered, raising the confirmed death toll to 47.

Police said the bodies were recovered after the bus wreckage was pulled to the bank of the river on Sunday.

The bus crashed Thursday into the Bheri river about 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of the capital, Katmandu, but it took days for rescuers to pull the wreckage out of the river.

Five bodies were recovered earlier while 10 other people on board the bus were able to swim to safety.

Accidents in the Himalayan nation are often caused by poorly maintained vehicles and narrow roads.

Death toll at 79 for quake in India, Nepal, China

GANGTOK, India (AP) — Officials say the death toll from a Himalayan earthquake that shook northeastern India, Nepal and China has risen to 79, while troops trying to reach survivors are pushing through landslide debris with earthmovers.

Karma Gyatso, chief secretary of the worst hit Indian state of Sikkim, says 50 people have been killed in the state, taking the death toll from Sunday’s 6.9-magnitude quake to 79.

Other deaths occurred in neighboring Bihar and West Bengal states, Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet.

Gyatso said Tuesday that local authorities have reported extensive damage to homes and buildings across Sikkim.

Helicopters are ferrying rescue workers and emergency supplies, while paramilitary troops use earthmovers to clear landslides on highways linking the region to the rest of India.

Nepal quake death toll rises to 4,456 across 3 countries

A Nepal police official says at least 4,352 bodies have so far been recovered after Saturday’s massive earthquake that struck just outside of capital Kathmandu.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam says the toll includes 1,176 bodies recovered in Sindhupalchuk district, just northeast of the capital.

He says 8,063 people have been injured.

Another 18 people were also killed in a quake-triggered avalanche that swept the Everest base camp. In neighboring India 61 people were killed and China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported 25 dead in Tibet.

Meanwhile,  local seismologist says major aftershocks are now unlikely to occur as the 72-hour mark after Saturday’s devastating earthquake approaches.

Lok Bijaya Adhikari, chief of Nepal’s National Seismological Center, says the number and strength of aftershocks have been receding. There have been more than 100 aftershocks since Saturday’s magnitude 7.8 temblor. The largest of these was magnitude 6.7 on Sunday.

The ground shook Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. but measured only magnitude 4.5.

Smaller aftershocks are expected to continue for a month and Kathmandu residents could continue to feel tremors because the epicenter is close to the city.

Health workers fear a major health crisis among the survivors who are living in the open or in crowded tents with no access to sanitation or clean water.

Baburam Marasini, director of Nepal’s Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, says their main concern is making sure people get clean water.

He says “we fear diseases.” He says the department is asking people to take precautions such as eating with a clean spoon and not with their hands as most people here normally do.

He says people are also being asked to drink clean water. Attempts are also being made to reach rural areas quickly where a clear picture of the death toll is still not available.

A government official says business owners are being asked to open their shops amid anxiety among locals about dwindling food and medical supplies.

Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, an official at the Commerce and Supplies Ministry says the government has made arrangements to pick up food and supplies directly from factories and distribute them free in areas where necessary.

Water has been the big issue. There will be more tankers bringing water to the areas where people are camped out in Kathmandu and surrounding areas, he says. Food will also be sent to the rural areas on helicopters, he says.

Police are on the lookout for businesses that are overcharging to take advantage of demand and scarcity, and such people will be arrested and punished, he said.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class now assembled in Malaysia

Of course, you can expect a price difference compared to the CBU models.

You knew this one was coming because it was only a matter of time that the C-Class, which was launched with CBU models in September last year, is now available in CKD models. Although their prices are adjusted lower, the CKD models bear no lack in kit compared to the CBU models. So you’ll still get the touchpad, the Collision Prevention Assist Plus, Active Parking Assistant and plenty of airbags within this aluminium-hybrid, aerodynamic shell.

The CKD Mercedes-Benz C-Class comes in two lines – the C 200 Avantgarde and the C 250 Exclusive – with their respective engine tunes.

The C 200 Avantgarde (you can read our take on the car in the May 2015 of Car Magazine) is the sportier-looking of the two. This luxury saloon comes with the sports grille with twin lourves and a central star. The engine is a 2.0-litre that produces 184hp and 300Nm of torque, which is good for a 0-100kph spring in 7.5 seconds.

The C 250 Exclusive has more. The car features the classic radiator grille that incorporates AIRPANEL, a system that opens and closes the grille to reduce air resistance. AIRPANEL only shuts the grille depending on the engine’s cooling demands. On the inside, the AIR-BALANCE package makes travelling more comfortable. This package includes active fragrancing with four fragrances available for customers to choose.

Also included in the package are an ionizer and a more-efficient filtration that makes the interior air cleaner. Lastly, the C 250 Exclusive is fitted with a panoramic sliding/tilting sunroof. This variant is powered by the same 2.0-litre engine but tuned to produce 211hp and 350Nm of torque. Expect a 0-100kph time of 6.6 seconds.

Prices, OTR without insurance, inclusive of GST, for the C 200 Avantgarde is RM269,888 and the C 250 Exclusive is yours for RM299,888.

MH17: Germany failed to warn

Location crash MH17

BERLIN - GERMANY. The German government had been informed of the risk of flight routes in eastern Ukraine before the flight MH17 shot down in July last year but failed to disseminate information according to the report.

Citing reports Deutsche Welle, two days before the crash, the German Foreign Ministry was informed that the situation in the area is "very worrying" because an army of Ukraine Antonov cargo plane was shot down at an altitude of over 6,000 meters (19,600 feet).

Firing incident plane at an altitude clearly demonstrates the ability to shoot down any aircraft at higher altitudes and this means that it is very dangerous on passenger aircraft through the zone.

According to reports German TV channel NDR and WDR and Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the information given by the German intelligence to the government, but the information is not shared by any airline Germany.

In the meantime, the airline Lufthansa told German media that they did not get any information about the dangers of the route by the government.

"If the airline know about these things, then of course Lufthansa will not be flown in eastern Ukraine again," said company sources.

Other German airline has avoided using this route as a precaution.

Earlier, MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, believed to be shot down, when carrying 298 passengers and crew on the way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

A total of 43 Malaysians were on that plane.

Restaurants invaded fish head soup

Ab Ghani (third from right) make inspections at the restaurant, overnight.

CROSS CITY - "I am pleased with this provision as GOD Almighty to test me. It was somewhat surprised by this raid, but I hope to do business again as usual after this. "

That word fish head soup restaurant owners Pulau Pisang, Nik Mohd Noor Mohammed, better known as 'Pok Mat' after his shop in Jalan Pantai Cahaya Bulan (PCB) inspection enforcement Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (Ministry) Kelantan, yesterday .

The inspection was made after two reports are received from customers regarding the price charged for the fish head soup bowl to hit RM130 to RM150.

Restaurant operating since two years ago serves fish head soup with teh tarik honey as the main menu, in addition to other dishes that also serves as the customer's choice.

Kelantan ministry director, Datuk Ab Ghani Harun said, the results of a review of the bill at the restaurant, were found, fish head soup dishes are served to customers, of course sold at such prices in the complaint.

"We are following the tactics fish head soup bowl price is quite high and this case is being investigated under Section 57 of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering 2011.

"Previously, on April 22, we have submitted a notice to the parties concerned to give reasons for our price on expensive dicatut in food dishes, but until today, we still have not received notice of the answer," he said.

Ab Ghani said, by failing to respond to notices given and after the inquiry is made, the government handed over the case to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action, either fined or otherwise.