News that interested me ... jun 18 2006

• MADURAI: Rich tributes were paid to former Minister Kakkan on his birth anniversary on Sunday. The Minister for Adi-Dravidar Welfare, A. Tamilarasi, garlanded the statue of the leader at his native village Thumbaipatti near Melur in Madurai district. The District Revenue Officer, K. Asaithambi, Thumbaipatti panchayat president, P. Palaniappan, among others paid tributes to Kakkan, according to a press release.
• Chikungunya spread in TN:
  # Symptoms include abrupt onset of fever, chills, headache and severe joint pain with or without swelling
  # Seven samples sent to National Institute of Virology, Pune, test positive for chikungunya
  Most often chikungunya was self-limiting febrile illness with no mortality.
  Prevention is to look for the breeding places of Aedes mosquito and destroy them.
• AI and IA planning merger:
  With a combined fleet strength of 160-plus aircraft after merger, AI-IA will be better able to compete with global players like Air France-KLM with 480 aircraft, Lufthansa-Swiss with 401 aircraft, British Airways with 284 aircraft, Singapore Airlines with 126 and Jet-Sahara with a fleet strength of 80 aircraft.
  Do you believe that AI and IA together has only 160 aircrafts in operation
  The net profit will grow to Rs. 162 crore and the revenue will be around Rs. 13,000 crore.
  Does that mean AI and IA together can earn only 1.25% of profit?
  While the domestic market share of Indian has nosedived from 100 per cent in 1990 to 31 per cent last year, AI's share has plummeted from 24.5 per cent to 19.5 per cent during the same period.
• Shashi Tharoor is the Indian nominee for the next UN Secretary General. He is an History graduate from Delhi's St. Stephen's College, Mr. Tharoor faces contest from at least three Asian contenders. Pakistan being the main voice. By policy of rotation, asia should get the post this time.

courtesy: The Hindu, june 18