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Sat, 29 November 2014
Live! IS fighting intensifies in Syrian town of Kobane
Timeline Refresh
23:24
Fighting has intensified in the besieged Syrian border town of Kobane, where Kurdish forces have been holding Islamic State at bay since September.
IS militants launched at least four suicide attacks, with reports saying at least 25 people were killed.The first of the attacks was near the Turkish border crossing. It is thought to be the first fighting in that area.
23:09 Thane: Over 150 taken ill due to chemical waste in drain
As many as 164 residents of Ulhasnagar in Thane district reported symptoms such as burning sensation in the eyes, giddiness and breathing problems following release of a hazardous chemical in a drain in neighbouring Ambarnath today, the police said.
Most of them were admitted to Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar. While ten persons were still hospitalised, the rest were discharged, police said. The condition of those ten persons was said to be stable.
Officials of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board found out, upon inspection, that a hazardous chemical waste had mixed with the water in the drain which flows from Ulhasnagar to Ambarnath.
22:23 Mulayam hails Azam Khan for doing a 'great job'
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today heaped praise on senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for doing a 'great job' in arranging his birthday bash even as he ruled out any action against him over his comment on the source of funding for the event.
The birthday celebrations had drawn a flak from various quarters for the extravaganza associated with it and the controversial comment made by Khan.
"Why should people ask him (Azam Khan) from where money has came (for birthday celebrations)? He has done a great job in arranging celebrations for my birthday. You must have seen how people from different walks of life formed a 16-km-long human chain to greet me that day. They are not given any money to do so. They came as per their wish," said Yadav.
Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav were in the city today to attend a function in the family of former Medical Council of India president Ketan Desai. They were accompanied by SP MP Naresh Agrawal and Congress leader Rajiv Shukla.
21:57 Another technical snag halts AI flight take off in Chennai
A Kuwait-bound Air India plane from here today could not take off due to a technical snag, airline officials said.
The Chennai-Goa-Kuwait flight, with 159 passengers and crew onboard, was brought back to the bay after it ran for a short distance on the runway.
The aircraft was scheduled to leave by 7.30 pm and it was brought back to the bay shortly after it started to roll down the runway.
21:39
China's 14-year-old cue sport sensation Yan Bingtao became the youngest player to pocket the IBSF World Snooker title after edging past Pakistan's Muhammad Sajjad 8-7 in a thrilling final, here today.
Playing excellent snooker in front of a packed crowd at at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium, Bingtao kept his nerves to go better on Belgian player Luca Brecel, who had won the title at 17 years of age.
Leading 4-3 at the end of the first session, Bingtao, who had shocked 12-time world champion Pankaj Advani in the quarter-finals yesterday, made it 6-4 in the second but Pakistan's ace cueist kept coming back.
There was a bit of drama in the 11th frame as Sajjad, trailing by 50 points with three reds on the table, swiftly cleared the table without once looking at the score-board but fate had other plans.
After sinking the last black, he returned to his chair a satisfied man, assuming he had won the frame. But Sajjad was shocked when referee Ravindranath informed him that the scores were actually tied 65-all and the black had to be re-spotted. Sajjad though potted the black in the top right pocket to win the frame and go ahead 6-5 .
21:34 AFSPA extended for 6 months in Tripua
Tripura government has decided to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in 24 police station areas fully and in six police station areas partly for another six months to contain insurgency, a senior police official said today.
This decision to extend AFSPA was taken by the government after review of law and order situation at the meeting of the state-level coordination committee consisting top level officials including state police and central paramilitary forces, IG (police control) Nepal Das said.
The present term of AFSPA, which has been in force for long in these 30 police stations, would expire on December 5. Even as the insurgency came down recently, the remnants still existed and the insurgents of Tripura were still using the soil of Bangladesh, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said recently.
21:10 Thiruvalluvar's works to be introduced in schools
The life and works of famous Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar will be introduced in schools through essays and poetry and books on him will be distributed to all central universities.
This was informed by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay afer he led a delegation to HRD Minister Smriti Irani, thanking her for accepting his suggestions made yesterday in Parliament.
"I am extremely honoured and privileged that I had the opportunity to serve this particular request which came through a special mention by Vijay," Irani told reporters. She said the fact that the Rajya Sabha was unanimous in its support for such an initiative "reaffirms what I had said just two days ago in the Lok Sabha that Shiksha mein rajneeti nahin, lekin rashtraneeti ho rahi hai"(what is happening in education is national policy and not politics).
20:42
From the CNN: The number of confirmed, probable and suspected cases of Ebola in the current outbreak has surpassed 16,000, according to the World Health Organization, with nearly 7,000 deaths from those cases.
The United Nations' health agency issued its latest numbers Friday, focusing on how Ebola has affected Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- the three countries where the vast majority of cases have occurred.
Read the full story HERE
20:39 '80 TMC of Godavari water can be diverted through Polavaram'
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today said about 80 TMC of water from Godavari river can be diverted to Krishna river through upcoming Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh.
The minister also said that part of this diverted water could be used for parched districts in Rayalaseema region. "Excess flood water to the tune of 2,500 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) from Godavari river flows into sea, which is considered as a national waste and we can only save about 308 TMC water from this project," Venkaiah said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a function here wherein he released a book titled 'Polavaram Project Facts, Issues and Documents'.
"Out of the 80 TMC water that can be diverted from Godavari, 45 TMC of water can be used for drought-hit Rayalaseema districts," the minister said.
20:27 Lalu undergoes minor surgery at AIIMS
Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad has undergone a minor surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences .
According to a senior doctor, doctors of the general surgery department at the premier hospital operated on Yadav yesterday following which he has been admitted in the private ward.
"His condition is perfectly stable. He was not suffering from any serious ailment. He will be discharged soon," AIIMS spokesperson Dr Amit Gupta said today.
20:26 BJP won Parliamentary polls with help of money power: Nitish
Winding up his 'Sampark Yatra', senior JD-U leader Nitish Kumar today charged BJP with winning the Parliamentary elections with the help of money power.
"Paani ki tarah paisa bahana bhi kam hoga kahna jitna kharchila prachar kar ke chunav jeeta BJP ne (free flow of money would be an understatement to describe the magnitude of money power used by BJP to win election)," Kumar said addressing political meeting of JD-U workers at Punpun here. Kumar said BJP "exploited anti-incumbency against the UPA government to the hilt with the help of money by launching an advertisement campaign."
Kumar, who quit the post of chief minister of Bihar in the wake of severe drubbing in the general elections, said "It was beyond anybody's imagination to match the advertisement campaign of BJP backed by hefty money power."
20:04
Militants today triggered a blast targeting an army vehicle near Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir but the troops escaped unhurt. However, the vehicle was damaged in the Improvised Explosive Device blast.
The militants had planted the IED on road to LoC in Krishnagati belt of Poonch district, a senior Army Officer said tonight. There was minor damage to an Army vehicle in the explosion but the troops escaped unhurt, he said adding that area has been cordoned off and search operation has been started. Poonch goes to polls in second phase of elections on December two.
The blast follows the terror attack in Arnia border belt of Jammu district yesterday in which 12 people i ncluding 4 militants, 4 civilians and 3 army men were killed and one jawan injured.
Militants had also triggered a grenade blast in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar city resulting injuries to 6 people today.
19:53 India's LVM 3 X launch with crew module between Dec 15-20
Inching towards its human space programme, India would test a crew module recovery experiment even as it would study the vehicular performance of its latest Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV - Mark III) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre between December 15 and 20.
"ISRO would launch its heaviest rocket GSLV-Mark III (LVM 3 X mission) sometime between December 15 and 20. The rocket would also carry a crew module to test its re-entry characteristics," M Y S Prasad, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, told reporters.
The launch intends to test the atmospheric characteristics and stability of the updated rocket on its way up and would study the crew module on its re-entry into the atmosphere. While the rocket would cost Rs 140 crore, the crew module would cost Rs 15 crore, he said.
19:32 Statue of Indian-origin British fighter pilot unveiled in UK
A statue of the longest surviving fighter pilot from a group of 24 Indians who had served in the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War has been unveiled in southeastern England.
The statue of Sqn Ldr Mahinder Singh Pujji, who arrived in Britain in 1940, was unveiled in Kent in England yesterday. The local Gravesend community, which has one of the largest gurdwaras in the UK, raised 70,000 pounds in a month for the artwork, BBC reported citing Gravesham borough councillor Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi.
The statue is intended to represent all the service personnel from across the world who have fought for Britain in conflicts since 1914. The Indian fighter pilot joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 serving in the Battle of Britain and later Burma (now Myanmar) and the Middle East.
19:31 Was IS recruit assigned a task for India?
From the NDTV: 23-year-old Areeb Majeed, who was arrested in Mumbai after he allegedly shared details of how he fought with Islamic State, may have been allowed by the hardline Sunni militants to leave Iraq because he was assigned a task for India, said sources who interrogated him.
Read the full article HERE
19:11
Meghalaya today came on the country's rail map more than six decades after independence, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off the first train to the northeastern state and favouring privatisation of railway stations.
"Railway facilities are the same as they were 100 years back.... Privatise the railway stations and modernise them," he said after flagging off the first train linking Meghalaya.
"I will make it in 10-12 places. Stations should be better than airports as most travellers are poor people. We can easily have trains running below and commercial properties above (floor)," Modi reasoned.
At a time when real estate is very expensive, railway should leverage its properties by allowing private parties to build luxury hotels, restaurants and other facilities, he added. He said once this exercise is completed in these places, the government will carry out modernisation of stations across the country.
19:05
There could be between 10,000 and 13,000 victims of slavery in the UK, higher than previous figures, analysis for the home office suggests.
Modern slavery victims are said to include women forced into prostitution, 'imprisoned' domestic staff and workers in fields, factories and fishing boats.The figure for 2013 is the first time the government has made an official estimate of the scale of the problem.
Read the full story HERE
18:30 After promising sky Omar did nothing for his constituency: PDP
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti today attacked ruling National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for doing nothing for his Ganderbal constituency as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after "promising sky" during polls. "He (Omar) was particularly lavish when he addressed campaign meetings in 2008 (polls) in Ganderbal and promised sky to the people there.
"People want to know where is the much-parroted Truth and Reconciliation Commission on human rights violations, where have the one lakh jobs that were to be given in the first three months of the new government gone and what happened to the promise of one job to each family?"
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti asked while addressing election meeting in Beerwah constituency. Omar had won from Ganderbal constituency in 2008 polls. However, he has decided to contest from Beerwah and Sonawar constituencies this year.
18:09 Srinjoy Bose in judicial custody in Saradha scam
A city court today remanded Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Bose to judicial custody on a prayer by CBI, which had arrested him for alleged complicity in the multicrore Saradha chitfund scam.
Rejecting Bose's bail prayer, additional chief judicial magistrate of Alipur Court Kingshuk Sadhu remanded him to judicial custody till December five. Bose, who was in CBI custody since his arrest on November 21, prayed that he be released on bail as he was unwell and submitted that he would comply with any condition given by the court.
The CBI counsel opposing it prayed for Bose's judicial remand claiming that he was an influential person and if released on bail could try to influence witnesses.
17:53
Ending a stand-off, BJP today gave up its plans to organise the birth anniversary celebration of Raja Mahendra Pratap at the campus of AMU, which had warned of a communal flagration, after the varsity announced that it will hold a seminar to mark his contribution.
BJP MP from Aligarh, Satish Gautam, said the party has taken the decision to "avoid" any confrontation over the matter after the Vice-Chancellor said that the university will hold a special seminar to mark contributions of the 'valiant soldier' in nation building.
"We have been assured that there will be no gathering at the University gate on December 1 on the occasion of the 128th anniversary of Raja Mahendra Pratap," AMU Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (rtd) Zameer Uddin Shah said in a statement today.
17:42 Why Putin thinks it's still 1985
From the CNN: The first frosts of winter have already dusted the spectacular city of St. Petersburg with a powder of glistening ice.
The air outside feels sharp and crisp. Russians hurry along the elegant boulevards, wrapped up tight against the biting cold. Russia's winter, its annual deep freeze, has begun.
Read the full article HERE
17:39 Heavy smog returns to Beijing
China today issued a hazardous air alert after a heavy blanket of smog engulfed the capital city, urging the residents here to stay indoors. Beijing air control authorities have issued a 'blue alert', the lowest of a four-level warning system this morning.
They blamed regional pollution and unfavorable weather conditions for the build-up of pollutants. Beijing's air quality index hit 276 at 12 pm, according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Monitoring Centre. The office has ordered local pollution emitters to take further measures to cut emissions and advised residents to stay indoors and to wear masks when they venture out.
People suffering from respiratory and cardio- cerebrovascular diseases have been urged to reduce outdoor activities, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
17:28 Gold worth Rs 1 crore seized at Pune airport
Devidas Deshpande from Pune: Customs officials on Saturday arrested a woman for smuggling gold bars worth Rs 1.6 crore at the Pune airport.
Customs Commissioner Vasa Sheshagiri Rao said that the passenger, one Agwan Assamma, a Mumbai resident arrived at the Pune International Airport by Air India Express flight no IX-212 from Dubai. She then attempted to clear herself through the green channel by filing a NIL declaration form.
However, suspecting something foul, Deputy Commissioner of Customs K Rajesh Rama Rao intercepted her. After a detailed search was carried out, eight pieces of gold bars were recovered from her, which were concealed in a special vest on her upper body underneath her clothes. These bars weighed 4 kg and were valued at Rs 1.6 crore.
Assamma was arrested under the Customs Act, 1962 and produced before the chief judicial magistrate. This is the second incident of gold smuggling at the Pune airport in a month.
Photograph: Yogesh Jadhav
16:57 Protests stall Black Friday shopping in Ferguson
Dozens of protesters interrupted holiday shopping in the St Louis area of Missouri, US, as part of the ongoing reaction to a grand jury's decision to not indict the Ferguson police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown this past August.
Several stores lowered their security doors or locked entrances as at least 200 protesters sprawled onto the floor while chanting, "Stop shopping and join the movement."
16:32 AI plane's tyre bursts at Kolkata airport after landing
An Air India flight from Dibrugarh to Kolkata via Dimapur had a tyre burst after landing at Kolkata airport. All passengers and crew are safe and are being assisted at the airport.
16:26 Modi sarkar to introduce golden handshake scheme?
Speculations are rife in babudom that the Bharatiya Janata Party led government may soon make the mandatory age of retirement as 58 years. Insiders say that a 'golden handshake' scheme may be launched, in which once an employee retires, he or she gets a significant severance package and more insurance benefits from the government. All eyes are now on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's 2015 budget.
15:43 Though acquitted, Hosni Mubarak not free yet
A court has dismissed charges against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak related to the deaths of hundreds of protesters. The court has also found Mubarak not guilty of corruption. Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for almost 30 years, was accused of inciting, arranging, and assisting to kill peaceful protesters during the country's popular uprising in 2011. The 86-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Though Mubarak was not convicted on any charges Saturday, he still won't go free anytime soon. In May, a Cairo court sentenced Mubarak to three years in prison for embezzlement.
14:47 Militants hurl grenade in public in Srinagar's Lal Chowk
Seven people were injured when a powerful hand grenade exploded in the middle of Lal Chowk in Srinagar. Senior police officials said that militants hurled a grenade at a police party new the Palladium Cinema, which caused injuries to bystanders. "The injured have been evacuated to hospital and the area has been cordoned off by officials," said a senior police official. No one has yet taken responsibility for the attack.
13:41 ISIS recruit to remain in NIA custody till December 8
Arrested ISIS recruit Arif Majeed has been sent to NIA custody till December 8. The youth, who had fled his home in Kalyan to join the terror group in Iraq, was arrested yesterday after he returned home and was directly taken in for questioning by the NIA. A case has been slapped against him and his operatives under Section 125 of the IPC, which deals with waging war against any Asiatic country which has friendly ties with India, entailing maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
13:05 Delhi: Bank cash van robbed of Rs 1.5 crore, guard shot dead
A cash van of a private bank in Delhi was robbed of Rs 1.5 crore on Saturday morning. The robbers shot at the guard stationed outside the van when he tried to retaliate. The guard has succumbed to his injuries. The incident happened in the Kamla Nagar area of the national capital.
12:48 1st Test postponed as Australian players still in mourning
Cricket Australia has opted to postpone Australia's first Test against India at the Gabba as players continue to struggle with grief after the death of Phillip Hughes.
The Test was scheduled to begin in Brisbane on Thursday, but with Hughes's funeral to take place on Wednesday afternoon, CA has allowed mourning players more time to recover.
No rescheduled date has been set for the match, with CA chief executive James Sutherland reiterating that player welfare is the the primary concern at present. Sutherland thanked Indian cricket officials for their understanding, and have asked the wider cricket community for the same patience.
Hughes's funeral will be held in his hometown of Macksville, in the sports hall of his high school.
12:44 1 killed in Manipur blast
An explosion has claimed the life of one person in Manipur's Thoubal district ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Northeast. PM Modi will be visiting Manipur, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland over the weekend. Earlier in the morning, he had tweeted his excitement about the visit and said he was eager to meet people and interact with them.
12:37 One in four Indians admit to practising untouchability: Survey
Sixty-four years after caste untouchability was abolished by the Constitution, more than a fourth of Indians say they continue to practise it in some form in their homes, the biggest ever survey of its kind has revealed. Those who admit to practising untouchability belong to virtually every religious and caste group, including Muslims, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Read more HERE
11:55 RJD chief Lalu Prasad finds suitable boys for all daughters
From software engineers to politicos, Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad has found suitable grooms for all his seven daughters. He did not have to look far for the groom of his youngest daughter Raj Lakshmi, though. He found one in the family of Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Read more HERE.
11:50 Glitch delays AI flights at Delhi airport
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the Delhi airport on Saturday morning after some flights of national carrier Air India or AI were delayed, reportedly due to a network glitch.AI's flights to Hyderabad, Chennai, Varanasi, Imphal, Guwahati and Ranchi were reportedly delayed. AI officials said the delay was due to a network system crash, due to which they had to carry out check-in and baggage transfer formalities manually.
11:31 Two soldiers, slain during encounter with militants, laid to rest with honours
Naiks Kulwinder Singh and Jagsir Singh of 5 Sikh Light Infantry were given full military honours after they died battling Pakistan terrorists in Arnia, Jammu. For the past few days, violence in the border town of Arnia has increased with Pakistani militants stepping up their efforts in infiltrating the area.
11:08 Arms cache recovered from militant hideout in Doda
Security forces have busted a militant hideout and recovered arms and ammunition in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The recoveries from the hideout include an AK-47 rifle, a chinese pistol, two .303 rifle, three 12 bore gun, one sniper rifle, one country-made pistol, four magazines of AK-47 and three magazines of .303 rifle, he said. In addition, two radio sets, around 216 rounds of assorted ammunition, four hand grenades and several other logistic stores were also recovered.
10:28 Shoppers cause a frenzy during Black Friday
It was supposed to be the start of the peak Christmas shopping season. But across Britain yesterday, stores were left looking more like a battlefield as Black Friday frenzy took hold. Shoppers fought in some cases literally to get the best bargains.
Click HERE to see the battle of the shoppers
10:18 Rajnath Singh raises issue of ISIS at DGP meet
Addressing top cops at the DGP meet in Guwahati, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that it was a concern that youngsters of India were being attracted to the cause of the Islamic State.
The minister said, "There are some misguided youth who are getting attracted to join organisations like the ISIS. This is a concern." Singh added that threats posed by groups such as the ISIS and the Al Qaeda should not be taken lightly and should be taken up as a challenge.
The home minister also paid tribute to those soldiers who had sacrificed their life in the line of duty.
10:02 Back after a lifetime in IS
Baptism, wedding, "death' and funeral" in the six months he spent as a soldier of the Islamic State, Arif Majeed of Kalyan went through the rites of passage of a lifetime.
Read more HERE
09:39 In emotional tribute, Australia to retire Hughes's shirt number
A tearful Michael Clarke has announced that Phillip Hughes's one-day international shirt number of 64 will be retired. Hughes's death on Thursday as a result of the injuries sustained during a Sheffield Shield game, when the South Australia batsman was struck on the neck by a bouncer, has left a nation in mourning.
In tribute to the left-hander, a grief-stricken Clarke said Cricket Australia has accepted a request to retire the ODI shirt number of Hughes, who made 25 appearances in the 50-over format to add to his 26 Test caps. The Australian skipper said, "Our dressing room will never be the same, we loved him and always will."
It was the first time Clarke had spoken publicly since reading out a statement just hours after his close friend's death had been announced.
09:24 PM Modi tweets ahead of his Northeast visit
Prior to his visit to the Northeast -- Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted of his excitement and said that he was eager to meet and interact with the people there. In a series of tweets, he also wrote, "India will not develop till Northeast develops. We are committed to realising the potential of Northeast and accelerating its progress."
09:22 Trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens goes online
After weeks of fanboy imitations, the official trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released. The 88-second trailer saw its global introduction on Apple's iTunes (along with movie theaters), instead of Google's YouTube platform that many studios utilize for trailer releases. The movie will be released in December 2015.
02:05 Street clashes erupt as Hong Kong police crack down on protesters
Reuters reports: Thousands of pro-democracy activists clashed with police in running scuffles in the gritty district of Mong Kok early on Saturday in a bid to reclaim part of one of the largest and most volatile protest sites in Hong Kong.
After hours of tense face-offs, with police showing relative restraint at first, hundreds of riot police baton-charged the crowds with shields, pepper spraying and wrestling a string of protesters to the ground in chaotic scenes.
Several bands comprised of hundreds of protesters, some of whom pelted police with eggs and bottled water, retreated but regrouped swiftly in other spots, stoked on rather than cowed by the clampdown.
Many rushed to lay fresh barricades across roads amid a wail of sirens and loud chants for "real full democracy".
The fresh tensions will be a set-back for authorities who have struggled for months to find a resolution to the most serious governance crisis to be faced in the former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Read more HERE
Read more HERE
01:28 At least 120 dead in Nigeria mosque suicide attack
At least 120 people were killed and 270 others wounded today when two suicide bombers blew themselves up and gunmen opened fire during weekly prayers at the mosque of one of Nigeria's top Islamic leaders.
The attack at the Grand Mosque in Kano, the biggest city in the mainly Muslim north of the country, came just as Friday prayers had started.
The mosque is attached to the palace of the Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II, Nigeria's second most senior Muslim cleric, who last week urged civilians to take up arms against Boko Haram.
The blasts came after a bomb attack was foiled against a mosque in the northeastern city of Maiduguri earlier today, five days after two female suicide bombers killed over 45 people in the city.
National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu told AFP that the bombers blew themselves up in quick succession then "gunmen opened fire on those who were trying to escape".
Ojukwu said he did not know whether the suicide bombers were male or female, after a spate of attacks by women in recent months, and did not give an exact figure on the number of gunmen.
But he said an angry mob killed four of the shooters in the chaotic aftermath. Witnesses in the city said they were set on fire.
An AFP reporter at the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital morgue counted 92 bodies, most of them men and boys with blast injuries and severe burns.
01:24 Why Harvard's Asians are invisible
Asian Americans are invisible.
That, at least, is the contention of Students for Fair Admissions, an organization alleging in an anti-discrimination lawsuit that Harvard systematically excludes Asian Americans through its holistic admissions process.
The argument is that by considering information about an applicant other than test scores and GPA, the school is trying to limit the number of Asian Americans in attendance -- and that the result is a form of affirmative action for non-Asians.
But its far from clear whether the success of the lawsuit would benefit Asian Americans.
Read more HERE
01:23 Man who shot Mexican Consulate, federal courthouse, Austin police HQ killed
A man shot up a federal courthouse and a Mexican consulate -- which he also seemingly tried to set ablaze -- early Friday before being shot dead outside the Austin, Texas, police headquarters, that city's police chief said.
The shooter fired "over 100 rounds" in a roughly 10-minute span, but he did not hit anyone even though the bullets ricocheted at a typically busy time in downtown Austin, when streets fill up with people after bars close for the night.
"This Thanksgiving ... weekend, I give thanks that no one but the suspect is injured or deceased," police Chief Art Acevedo said. "That's something that we should all take a lot of comfort in."
Acevedo didn't name the shooter but described him as a male Austin resident about 50 years old who had a criminal history.
01:22 Russian Navy successfully tests new missile
The Russian Navy has successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile for a second time in as many months, proving its reliability following a troublesome development.
The defense ministry said the Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine test-fired a Bulava missile from an underwater position in the Barents Sea. The missile's warheads reached designated targets at a testing range in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
Like the previous Bulava launch on Oct 29, today's test was important for confirming the capability of the missile, which Russia touted as a key part of its nuclear deterrent.
The Bulava suffered many failures during a decade of tests, raising doubts about its fate. But a series of recent launches has been successful and the Navy now has three nuclear submarines armed with the Bulava.
01:22 Top headlines at this hour:
Brisbane Test set to be rescheduled; Australian players not ready
ISIS recruit from Kalyan returns home, arrested by NIA
Ishrat encounter: I was just following orders, says Vanzara
CAG report blames railways for 2013 Kumbh Mela stampede
Why punish students, says SC on Sanskrit row
RBI scraps 80:20 gold import curbs; price may come down
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala picks up stake in Spicejet
ISIS recruit from Kalyan returns home, arrested by NIA
Ishrat encounter: I was just following orders, says Vanzara
CAG report blames railways for 2013 Kumbh Mela stampede
Why punish students, says SC on Sanskrit row
RBI scraps 80:20 gold import curbs; price may come down
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala picks up stake in Spicejet
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