Call for tobacco pictorial warning

Jaipur (PTI): The Indian Asthma Care Society has demanded that packets of cigarettes and other tobacco product should have a pictorial depiction of a ?skull and cross bones? to make consumers aware of the ill effects on their health.

The society?s secretary, Dharam Veer Kateva, in a letter to Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje, said as the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade, commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003 was in force in the state, it was mandatory for manufacturers to print a pictorial warning.

Besides a picture, every cigarette packet must also indicate the nicotine and tar contents, he said. The act provides for seizure and confiscation of packets that do not contain such warning, Kateva added.

Satellite rescue system

New Delhi (PTI): The country?s satellite-based search and rescue system detected and supported two distress calls that led to the rescue of 25 people, said the annual report of the space department.

One of the calls was from a Singaporean vessel which caught fire after an explosion in July 2004. The other was from a Maldivian vessel whose engines had failed about 100 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi in November 2004.

India is a member of an international programme for providing distress alert and position location service through Leosar (low earth orbit search and rescue ) satellite system.

There are two local user terminals in Lucknow and Bangalore. The Indian Mission Control Centre (INMCC) is located at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, Bangalore.

The terminals render services to Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The operations are funded by the coast guard, the Airports Authority of India and the director-general of shipping and services.

The messages concerning the Indian service area, detected at INMCC, are passed on to the coast guard and rescue coordination centres in Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi and Chennai. The search and rescue operations are carried out by the coast guard, navy and the air force.

Dharaji stick for officials

Bhopal (PTI): The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended four officials and transferred two for alleged lapses leading to the drowning of 68 people in the Narmada during the Dharaji fair on April 7. Several others went missing.

Superintendent of police R.K. Choudhury was shifted to the state police headquarters here while additional divisional magistrate S.M. Markam was transferred to Balaghat, sources said.

The government suspended sub-divisional magistrate of Bagli Jagdish Gome and its sub-divisional police officer Ashok Bhandari, they said. Bagli tehsildar Umrao Singh Romde and chief executive officer of Bagli Janpad panchayat Mohan Singh Baskle were also suspended. Earlier, Dewas district collector Ashish Shrivastava was transferred to Bhopal.

Train driver hurt

Bhadohi (PTI): The Gorakhpur-Dadar Express was halted for more than two hours on Monday after a stone, apparently tossed by a youth in air, hit its driver, causing serious injuries, sources said. Soon after the Dadar-bound train crossed Bhadohi station in Uttar Pradesh, S.D. Pandey was hit by the stone. He, however, managed to bring the train to Suryawan. The superintendent sent Pandey to Varanasi by another train.

Criminal shot

Varanasi (PTI): Police shot dead a criminal near Ordaly Bazar on Sunday. Raj Kumar, carrying a reward of Rs 2,500 on his head, was wanted in cases of murder, loot and other crimes. Two of his associates fled.

Highway accident

Kharar (PTI): A truck crushed to death three members of a family on the Kharar-Mohali National Highway in Punjab. The truck, loaded with refrigerators, ran over their car near a blind curve.

Couple dead

Mumbai (PTI): Girish Sharma, 34, and his wife Veena, 30, were found dead in Mulund on Sunday. The bodies with injection marks were found in their home. A case of accidental death has been registered.

Subhash Ghai?s Kisna starring Vivek Oberoi will be showcased at the Cannes film festival on May 14 and 17. The film will be of one-hour-and-35-minute duration for the festival, a release said.