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Sat, 10 January 2015
Lankan President to visit India on his first foreign trip
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21:47 Lankan President to visit India on his first foreign trip
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will visit India on his maiden foreign trip next month even as he ordered the release of all Indian fishermen in custody here as a goodwill gesture on the first day in office.
"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi asked the President to visit India and wanted the visit to take place this month itself. But, he (Sirisena) said this month may not be possible because he is still settling down, but early next month is OK," government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters here today.
Modi, during his telephonic talk to congratulate Sirisena, had invited him to Delhi at his earliest convenience, Senaratne said.
As a goodwill gesture, Sirisena decided to free all Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody and would take a decision on the fate of Indian trawlers that have been seized by local authorities, he said.
20:57 Top NDFB(S) leader who led Kokrajhar attack killed in encounter
A top NDFB(S) leader identified as Jwblang -- self-styled platoon commander of the outfit's Kokrajhar platoon -- was killed in an encounter with security forces close to the Indo-Bhutan border on Saturday afternoon, with the police saying he had personally led one of the five simultaneous attacks of December 23 in which over 80 people, mostly Adivasi settlers were killed. Two others involved in the attacks were arrested too.
Read full story here.
19:59 Blast in market of Nigeria's Maiduguri
A suicide bomb attack by a young girl thought to be as young as 10 in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri killed 19 people, police said on Saturday.
Borno State police spokesman Gideon Jubrin told reporters: "Casualty figure: 20 dead and 18 injured, including the female suicide bomber that detonated the improvised explosive device."
The blast took place near the live chicken section of the Monday Market in the Borno State capital, which was targeted twice in a week by female bombers late last year.
19:55 Three injured in Dum Dum blast
Updated reports suggest that at least three people have been injured in the minor intensity blast at the railway crossing near Dum Dum Railway Station in Kolkata.
The condition of one of the victims is said to be critical.
The area has been cordoned off immediately and a team of Government Railway Police and local police have reached the site.
A bomb squad team also has reached the site as few suspected objects are reportedly present on the railway track.
19:36 IED blast in Kolkata's Dum Dum railway station
Just in: Two rag pickers got injured on Saturday after a crude bomb went off in Dum Dum Cantonment railway station in Kolkata.
The blast took place near platform number 2, where a tiffin box with a circuit has been found.
More details awaited
19:20 7,655 deaths recorded in Pakistan in 2014
Over 7,500 deaths were recorded in Pakistan last year due to terrorism, militant attacks, drone strikes, sectarian violence, targeted killings and security operations, according to a report.
The largest contributor for the total 7,655 deaths last year, compared to 5,687 similar fatalities in 2013, was security operations which saw a three fold increase.
While the fatalities from the militant attacks,terrorism and targeted killings decreased by 15 per cent, there was a 35 per cent increase in the overall deaths during the year, the Dawn reported today.
"The major increase in violence was observed in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), where fatalities more than doubled from 1,457 in 2013 to 3,399 in 2014," said Mohammad Nafees Farooqi, senior research fellow at Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), while presenting the figures.
19:01 Gandhi statue at British Parliament will cement India ties: PM
Justifying the decision to install a Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament Square in London, Prime Minister David Cameron has said the initiative would lead to Britain cementing its historical connection with India.
Cameron said there were "lots of reasons for the Gandhi statue to be installed at the British Parliament" alongside Britain's war-time prime minister Winston Churchill and South Africa apartheid icon Nelson Mandela."
"One (reason) is the importance of Gandhi to Indian history and the importance of Gandhi's teachings of non-violence and peaceful protests," Cameron said.
The British Prime Minister said the initiative would lead to Britain cementing its historical connection with India.
"A statue of Mahatma Gandhi standing alongside Churchill and Mandela at Parliament Square is highly appropriate and I am highly delighted that we have done this relatively quickly as sometimes the statues take a long time to be commissioned," he said.
The statue was announced during a UK delegation visit to India last year following which the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust, a charity founded by NRI economist Lord Meghnad Desai, has been raising funds for it.
18:37 France attacker, partner 'never entered' Malaysia: Police
Malaysia today said the Islamist militant involved in the fatal hostage crisis in Paris and his partner "never entered" the country, amid assertions that they once visited the Muslim-majority nation for a vacation.
Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar's comments denied reports that claimed the duo -- Amedy Coulibay and his partner Hayat Boumeddiene -- had once travelled to Malaysia on a vacation. Khalid tweeted: "Paris attack -- Amedy and his wife Hayathave never entered M'sia."
Coulibaly was gunned down by security forces yesterday when they stormed a Jewish supermarket in eastern Paris where he had taken terrified shoppers hostage.
18:29 Five new cases of swine flu in Delhi
Five new cases of swine flu were reported today in the national capital taking the total figure to 40 so far this year. Swine flu has claimed three lives till now.
Yesterday a 38-year-old woman from Uttam Nagar succumbed to the H1N1 virus at Ram Manohar Lohiya (RML) hospital.
"Till yesterday, the figure stood at 36 but then one case was eliminated from the list as it was not a case of swine flu," said a senior official from the Health department.
Health secretary S C L Das said that the incidences are still low this year and the Department is closely monitoring the situation.
18:05 An Indian cartoonist recalls a day at Charlie Hebdo
Indian cartoonist Vishwajyoti Ghosh, who was friends with some of the Charlie Hebdo staff killed in Wednesday's attack, remembers a memorable day with courageous artists at the offices of the French satirical magazine.
Read full story here.
17:58
One jawan was martyred, while three were injured in an encounter between members of the Central Reserve Police Force and Maoists in the Narayanpur district in Chhatisgarh,
17:42 John Kerry heads for India to attend Vibrant Gujarat Summit
US Secretary of State John Kerry today headed for India to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit during which he will address investors to boost economic ties and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss a broad range of bilateral and global issues, including climate change.
"The Secretary would be emphasising the importance and future potential of our economic partnership with India, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told mediapersons.
The three-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit will begin tomorrow in Gandhinagar.
17:03 Whatever I may be, at least am not corrupt: Kejriwal on Modi's barbs
Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, saying that those who wanted to be anarchists should go join the Naxals in the jungles and not talk about anarchy in Delhi, Kejriwal has responded to Modi. He said, "It doesn't make a difference what I am. At least am not corrupt."
The AAP further said that the BJP had no positive agenda for Delhi. "The PM spoke negatively of the 15 years that the Congress was in power. But did not utter a single negative about our 49-day rule. This means we did a good job."
16:58 Romney ponders another White House run
Mitt Romney told an audience of Republican donors in New York that he is seriously considering a third presidential bid. "Mitt told the group of 30 or so guys that were there that he is considering a run for the White House and that they could go tell their friends," a source in the room told CNN.
Read more HERE
16:24 50 lashes done, 950 more to go
A Saudi blogger underwent the first round of 50 lashes in public while shackled in chains for 'ridiculing Islamic religious figures'. Raif Badawi, who co-founded the Free Saudi Liberals website, was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to 1,000 lashes and a decade in prison for insulting Islam on his online forum. The start of his corporal punishment began after prayers on Friday outside the Al-Juffali mosque in the city of Jeddah.
Reports from the scene said Badawi arrived at the mosque in a police car and had the charges read out to him in front of a crowd. He was then made to stand with his back to onlookers and whipped, though he remained silent throughout the ordeal.
15:51 UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon arrives in Delhi
Ban Ki-moon the General Secretary of the United Nations touched down in Delhi ahead of his address to leaders and policymakers at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Ban is also scheduled to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other key Indian leaders during the visit, his fourth trip to India as the UN Secretary-General. During the visit, he will also meet Kailash Satyarthi, who shared the 2014 Nobel peace prize with Pakistani girls' rights activist Malala Yousafzai.
15:27 Google to pay for 1 million print run of Charlie Hebdo next week
Money put into a fund by Google will be used to pay for next week's edition of Charlie Hebdo. Following an attack by gunmen on the magazine's offices in Paris on Wednesday in which 12 people were killed the media world has come together to support the French satirical weekly.
The cash will come from 60m fund that supports digital publishing innovation. The fund was set up in 2013 following negotiations between Google and the French government as a remedy to demands from European publishers that Google pay for displaying news snippets in its search results.
15:25 Modi promises a no homeless Delhi by 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the poll pitch at Ramlila Maidan during his address, saying he dreamt of a Delhi which did not have any homeless people. "I have a dream, I need your support to fulfill it. I have a dream where every slum dweller in Delhi should have a house of his own by 2022, when India will complete 75 years of Independence."
He also slammed the Aam Aadmi Party and its chief Arvind Kejriwal, saying that people who wanted to be anarchists and spread anarchy should go and live with the Naxals in jungles and leave the running of the government to people like him.
15:00 Rupert Murdoch slammed for insensitive tweet
Rupert Murdoch, the 21st Century Fox Chairman and CEO, came under fire today for a tweet that he posted hours after the hostage crises in Paris. In his tweet, he wrote, "Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible."
Soon, however, he was criticised for his tweet.
14:42 No, we are not all Charlie Hebdo
We are not all Charlie.
Yes, the signs are everywhere online and in public protests: 'Je Suis Charlie' and 'Nous Sommes Tous Charlie.' But we are not all Charlie.
Some of us are actually the well-intentioned, highly responsible enemies of Charlie Hebdo. Charlie's enemies include the Financial Times, the New York Times, the Associated Press and many other major news outlets.
Read more HERE.
14:36
"For the past 22 years I have been a law abiding citizen. I have been ordered to surrender and I am going for it," says Sanjay Dutt as he leaves his residence in Bandra to Yerawada prison after his plea for a furlough extension was denied
13:38 PM Modi's poll pitch: BJP has always worked for Delhi
Kickstarting Bharatiya Janata Party's poll campaign in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing thousands at Ramlila Maidan said, "Mood of the nation is the mood of Delhi."
The PM said that Delhi has been facing a policy paralysis since 2002. "Delhi's needs have been ignored by the Congress even when it was at the Centre. Many issues in Delhi have remain unresolved."
He said that the BJP has always worked for the common man and it clearly shows that who works for the poor and who works for the rich.
13:30 Crashed AirAsia's tail hoisted from sea
Investigators searching for black boxes in the crashed AirAsia plane lifted the tail portion out of the Java Sea on Saturday, two weeks ago after it went down, killing all 162 people on board.
It was not immediately clear if the cockpit voice and flight data recorders were still inside the tail or have been detached when the Airbus A320 plummeted into the sea Dec. 28. Their recovery is essential to finding out why it crashed.
12:54 PM Modi kickstarts BJP's Delhi poll campaign at Ramlila Maidan
Bharatiya Janata Party's kickstarts its campaign for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls at a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the rally where thousands of supporters have arrived.
The rally is also being attended by top leaders including the chief ministers of Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, where the party captured power in recent elections.
12:07 Karnataka CM's chopper catches fire
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's helicopter caught fire today. Fortunately, the CM was unhurt in the incident.
More details are awaited.
11:52
"Our government will neither favor anyone nor will do any kind of discrimination. Furlough will only be granted as per rules. If it's not as per law, it will not be granted at all.'
That's Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sanjay Dutt's furlough
11:42 Sanjay Dutt asked to surrender at Yerawada prison
Sanjay Dutt has been asked to immediately surrender to Yerawada prison in Pune after his demand for a 14-day furlough was rejected.
The 55-year-old star, convicted for illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle and its destruction has been lodged in Pune's Yerwada Jail. He was released on a 14-day furlough on December 24. He had sought an extension of his leave. However, authorities today rejected his plea.
11:21 Tintin turns 86, expresses solidarity with Paris terror victims
Fictional detective Tintin today turned 86 and used the occasion to express his solidarity with the families of the Charlie Hebdo attack victims. The rallying cry for the birthday is "I am Charlie - Je suis Charlie and Tintin expresses solidarity with the families of the victims!", according to his website. It says the occasion is marked by the most horrible recent attacks against, among others, employees of Charlie Hebdo.
10:33 Another setback for Uber as China bans pvt drivers on apps
After India, Uber ran into trouble in China too as the country banned drivers of private cars from offering services through taxi-hailing apps, citing passenger safety concerns. The nationwide ban came as local authorities cracked down on unlicensed drivers using apps as camouflage and taking passengers for profit. Under the new rules, only licensed taxis may use hailing apps which are hugely popular in China. This could be a setback for US-based Uber, which ran into trouble in India, Europe, South Korea California for using drivers without proper taxi licences.
10:30 Mumbai cops block Charlie Hebdo cartoons on social media
Following the series of terror strikes in France, the Mumbai police has blocked hundreds of posts on social media which replicate the controversial cartoons of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Since it became clear that the attacks which began on Wednesday in Paris seemed to be in retaliation to the controversial cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed, the police was monitoring and blocking 'hate posts'.
10:02 Will 2015 be the year of the LeT?
The Pakistan Supreme Court ordered Mumbai 26/11 master-plotter, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi's further detention on January 6, referring back the case for hearing both the sides by the Islamabad high court. It is by no means certain that the judiciary may cater to pressure in this regard for too long.
Even as a beleaguered Pakistani establishment struggles to avoid international opprobrium on his imminent release, the Lashkar-e-Taiba seems poised to emerge in a more high profile role in 2015.
Read more HERE
10:00 Should France reassess its surveillance policy?
The Islamist attacks in Paris show that France may need to rethink its intelligence operations, says Camille Grand, defence expert and director of the Foundation of Strategic Research in Paris.
Read the entire report HERE
09:20 Police likely to quiz Tharoor on Sunday
Sources have revealed that former Union minister and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor may be questioned by the special investigation team on Sunday in connection with his wife, Sunanda Pushkar's, murder. He may be asked about the needle mark on Pushkar's left finger and other injury marks on her body, sources added.
Speaking to the media for the first time since an FIR was lodged in his wife's demise, Tharoor on Friday had asked for a 'professional probe without any predetermined motive'.
03:12 Yemeni faction of Al Qaeda owns up Charlie Hebdo attack
A member of Al Qaeda's branch in Yemen said the group directed the massacre at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris "as revenge for the honour" of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
The announcement came hours after near simultaneous raids by French police on Friday killed the two Islamist brothers behind the attack and an ally of theirs.
The raids, conducted at locations 25 miles apart, took out Cherif and Said Kouachi and a suspect in a policewoman's killing who had seized hostages at a Paris grocery on the brothers' behalf, but also left at least four hostages dead, according to authorities and reports from the scene.
The Al Qaeda member on Friday provided to The Associated Press a statement in English saying "the leadership of AQAP directed the operations and they have chosen their target carefully."
There was no independent confirmation of the report.
01:32 United States stands with you: Obama tells France
US President Barack Obama tells France: "The United States stands with you."
Speaking on a trip to Tennessee, he says he has been in contact with the French authorities over the Paris shootings and that he is hopeful the immediate threat is now resolved.
00:44 Anonymous declares war on Islamic extremists
Anonymous declared war on Islamic extremists Friday and promised to take revenge for the attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hedbo.
In a video posted on YouTube, the group of hackers said they would track down websites and social media networks linked to terrorists, and take them down.
"We, Anonymous around the world, have decided to declare war on you the terrorists," it said.
The video is described as a message for "Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorists," and promises to avenge the killing of 12 people in Wednesday's attack.
"We intend to take revenge in their name, we are going to survey your activities on the net, we are going to shut down your accounts on all social networks," Anonymous said.
00:43 Massive search for woman suspected in Paris hostage-taking
A massive manhunt was launched Friday for the only surviving suspect from the two hostage situations in France, who may have escaped, police union spokesman Pascal Disant said.
That suspect is Hayat Boumeddiene, a 26-year-old woman who was the alleged accomplice of Amedy Coulibaly, 32.
Coulibaly was killed in a police operation against the hostage-taking at a kosher store in eastern Paris, another police union spokesman said.
French police escort hostages away from a kosher grocery store in the Paris neighborhood of Porte de Vincennes on Friday, January 9. The hostage-taker was killed during a police operation, police union spokesman Pascal Disand said.
Boumeddiene may have eluded capture during the confusion as the hostages were running away, Disant said.
00:31 Hostage situation in southern France unrelated to Paris attacks
Moments after French police brought to a dramatic end two related hostage situations in and near Paris, a new situation emerged involving captives held at a jewelry story in southern France.
Local reports from Montpellier said a suspect held two shopkeepers for about an hour, threatening them with a gun, but no one was killed or wounded, according to Midi Libre said.
00:25 We are proud of our police: Hollande
France president is addressing the nation.
He says he's proud of his police force as they acted swiftly when the time came. Our soldiers to did a great job of fighting the terrorists.
Leaders from across the world pledged their solidarity during our crisis. He said the country's unity is its biggest strength.
00:08 Jihadists offended Muslims more than cartoons: Hezbollah
The chief of the powerful Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah said today that Sunni jihadists have caused more offence to Muslims than any book, cartoon or film.
"Through their shameful, heinous, inhumane and cruel words and acts, (these groups) have offended the religion... the holy book and the Muslim people more than any other enemy," said Nasrallah.
00:08 French TV cancels interview with 'Soumission' novelist
French television network Canal Plus today cancelled the broadcast of an interview with one of the country's top novelists about his new book imagining a France under Islamic rule.
The station said it had pulled the programme on author Michel Houellebecq because of the double "hostage-takings" by apparent jihadists in and to the north of Paris on today, it told AFP.
00:07 Muslims fear backlash after Paris shooting
Muslims in Europe are already feeling the backlash from the Paris attack. The United Nations Human Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein said Friday a "moment of calm' is needed after the Charlie Hebdo newspaper shootings in French capital this week.
At a ceremony in Geneva on Friday, Al-Hussein said Islam was not responsible for the shooting of 12 people.
00:06 2 hostages taken in jewellery store in southern France: AFP
There are reports coming in of another hostage situation in southern France at a jewellery store.
At this moment it is not known if the new development is related to the two sieges that ended a while ago.
More details awaited.
00:04 Top headlines in that last 24 hours
French dual hostage crises OVER; 3 gunmen, 4 hostages killed
Delhi Police may quiz Pak journo in Sunanda case
Melbourne airport evacuated due to security alert
PHOTOS: Terror grips streets outside grocery shop in Paris
Sirisena sworn-in as Sri Lanka's new president
Tharoor breaks his silence, says he's not been allowed to grieve
Paris attack: BSP leader's remark for cheap publicity, say Muslim clerics
I shook his hand: French salesman on run-in with Charlie Hebdo suspect
Delhi Police may quiz Pak journo in Sunanda case
Melbourne airport evacuated due to security alert
PHOTOS: Terror grips streets outside grocery shop in Paris
Sirisena sworn-in as Sri Lanka's new president
Tharoor breaks his silence, says he's not been allowed to grieve
Paris attack: BSP leader's remark for cheap publicity, say Muslim clerics
I shook his hand: French salesman on run-in with Charlie Hebdo suspect
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