LIVE
Mon, 12 January 2015
Key scientist behind Mangalyaan appointed ISRO chief
Timeline Refresh
23:37 Veteran Telugu filmmaker Rajendra Prasad passes away
Veteran Telugu film producer and director V B Rajendra Prasad passed away due to age related ailments at a hospital here tonight. He was 82.
"He lived like a king. He did not hurt anyone. He passed away peacefully with happy memories," his son and prominent Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu told reporters.
Born in Krishna district of coastal Andhra Pradesh, Prasad made over 30 films, including a few in Hindi and Tamil, in a career spanning about 50 years.
Prasad was close to veteran Telugu actor and Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient Akkineni Nageswara Rao and made many films with him.
His films like 'Aradhana', 'Dasara Bullodu', 'Atma Balam' were huge hits and he won National Award for his film 'Antastulu'.
He was also the recipient of other prestigious awards like Raghupathi Venkaiah award of the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Prasad had dedicated the twilight years of his life to spiritualism and spent a lot of time in the temple complex at Film Nagar in Hyderabad.
23:36 Prez nod to ordinance for auction of iron ore, non-coal minerals
President Pranab Mukherjee today gave his assent to an ordinance for auction of mines of iron ore and other minerals, a government source said.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had earlier approved the ordinance on January 5.
The ordinance would pave the way for introduction of competitive bidding for allocation of iron ore and other non-coal mines.
It will also enable creating District Mineral Funds for the welfare of the project-affected people.
The need for taking the ordinance route was felt as the government was finding it difficult to allocate mines because the Mines Ministry could not table a Bill in the winter session of parliament to amend the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
Industry body Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, however, has been opposing the auction route, saying it would sound 'death knell' for the industry and may lead to cartelisation and waste.
While a a draft Bill was put up on the Ministry's website for public comments, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2014, could not be tabled during the winter session of parliament that ended last month.
23:35 Maharashtra's bitter message to sugar mills: No money to fund you
Amidst plummeting sugar prices in international markets, the Maharashtra Government today expressed helplessness in monetarily assisting mill owners to pay fair and remunerative price to cane growers, saying there is not enough money to even pay salaries of its employees.
"Due to drop in sugar prices, sugar factories are not being able to give fair and remunerative price to farmers. According to the central government rules, it will be a criminal offence if they fail to pay FRP to farmers.
"Mill owners are asking for the state government's (monetary) help so that they can give FRP to farmers. But the state does not even have enough money to pay the salaries of government employees for this month," Cooperation Minister Chandrakant Patil told PTI.
"The total amount of money that sugar mill owners are asking for is roughly Rs 2,800 crore. The previous government has given us empty coffers. Where do we get this kind of money from? If mill owners are doing business, they will need to deal with this problem themselves. We are trying to sort this out, but for now, we are unable to do anything," Patil said.
23:35 UP: Hospital staff attempts rape on medical student on night duty
An employee of a private hospital in Ghaziabad allegedly attempted rape on a medical student who was on night shift, police said today.
The incident took late last night when the student, who is pursuing MD, was sleeping in the rest room of the hospital under Siani Gate police station. A sanitation employee, identified as Ravi, stealthily entered into the room from an open window and attempted to rape her, Police Inspector Ashok Shishodia said.
As the student screamed for help, other staff members rushed to the retiring room. The assailant, however, jumped off the room and fled.
The woman, along with medical superintendent of the hospital B R Sharma, filed a complaint at the police station against Ravi, a resident of Seva Nagar.
An FIR has been registered under section 376, read with 511 IPC (for attempted rape), Shishodia said, adding the accused has been arrested and sent to jail.
22:08 Key scientist behind Mangalyaan appointed ISRO chief
The government has appointed Kiran Kumar Alur Seelin, a key figure behind Mangalyaan, as the new secretary, department of space and the ISRO Chief for the next three years, the Economic Times reports.
He will succeed K Radhakrishnan who superannuated on December 31.
Seelin is credited for leading the team which developed three of the five scientific instruments fitted on the Mars Orbiter Mission satellite. The space scientist was awarded Padma Shri by the government last year.
He will succeed K Radhakrishnan who superannuated on December 31.
Seelin is credited for leading the team which developed three of the five scientific instruments fitted on the Mars Orbiter Mission satellite. The space scientist was awarded Padma Shri by the government last year.
21:52 Charlie Hebdo's Wednesday edition to include Prophet Mohammed cartoons
Telegraph reports: The next edition of Charlie Hebdo, out on Wednesday with a million-copy print
run, will "naturally" contain cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, along
with jibes against politicians and religions across the board, said the weekly's lawyer.
Last Wednesday, nine of the magazine's contributors, including famed cartoonists Cabu and Wolinski and its publishing director, Charb, were gunned down by two brothers Cherif and Sad Kouachi.
Read the complete report here
Last Wednesday, nine of the magazine's contributors, including famed cartoonists Cabu and Wolinski and its publishing director, Charb, were gunned down by two brothers Cherif and Sad Kouachi.
Read the complete report here
21:43 John Kerry to visit France after 'no-show' at Paris rally
BBC reports: United States Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to France after the White House was criticised for not sending a senior official to the Paris unity rally.
Kerry defended his absence, citing prior commitments and saying the US relationship with France "is not about one day or one particular moment".
The rally, which follows three terror attacks, was attended by an estimated 1.6m people and some 40 world leaders. The US ambassador to France was the highest ranking US official attending. Seventeen people died in attacks in Paris at a satirical magazine, another on a police officer, and a third at a kosher supermarket.
Kerry defended his absence, citing prior commitments and saying the US relationship with France "is not about one day or one particular moment".
The rally, which follows three terror attacks, was attended by an estimated 1.6m people and some 40 world leaders. The US ambassador to France was the highest ranking US official attending. Seventeen people died in attacks in Paris at a satirical magazine, another on a police officer, and a third at a kosher supermarket.
21:30 Mumbai top cop apologises after actor facing rape charges performed at police event
Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria today admitted that inclusion of a performance by the playback singer Ankit Tiwari, who is facing a rape case, at an event organised by the city police last week was a mistake.
"We are sorry; I admit it was a mistake. It has happened inadvertently," said Maria, speaking about Tiwari's performance at 'Umang-2015' programme on Saturday night.
Several Bollywood stars perform for the men and women in uniform at this event every year. However, Tiwari's presence on the stage raised eyebrows as the 25-year-old singer is facing a rape case and he had been arrested in the case too.
State Congress lambasted the BJP-led government over the issue. Maria said it was the event management company which planned the content of the programme and not the police officials.
"We are sorry; I admit it was a mistake. It has happened inadvertently," said Maria, speaking about Tiwari's performance at 'Umang-2015' programme on Saturday night.
Several Bollywood stars perform for the men and women in uniform at this event every year. However, Tiwari's presence on the stage raised eyebrows as the 25-year-old singer is facing a rape case and he had been arrested in the case too.
State Congress lambasted the BJP-led government over the issue. Maria said it was the event management company which planned the content of the programme and not the police officials.
20:54 India says it was appropriately represented at Paris solidarity march
India today reaffirmed that it was with those who condemned the attacks in Paris and said it was"appropriately" represented at the solidarity march yesterday, which was attended by many world leaders.
"The Government of India was invited... Our ambassador participated in that like majority of countries who were represented there. This was purely in terms of our logistical requirements at that stage."
"Given that we have vociferously condemned the situation.The external affairs has written to her counterpart Laurent Fabius and the prime minister has spoken to President of France (Franois Hollande) and was among the early ones to condemn it. Make no mistake, our views are very forthright and clear. We are on the side of those condemn this barbaric incident," the official spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said.
Photos: At historic Paris march, world leaders show the way
"The Government of India was invited... Our ambassador participated in that like majority of countries who were represented there. This was purely in terms of our logistical requirements at that stage."
"Given that we have vociferously condemned the situation.The external affairs has written to her counterpart Laurent Fabius and the prime minister has spoken to President of France (Franois Hollande) and was among the early ones to condemn it. Make no mistake, our views are very forthright and clear. We are on the side of those condemn this barbaric incident," the official spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said.
Photos: At historic Paris march, world leaders show the way
20:39 Censor Board bans Dera chief's Messenger of God
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's upcoming movie Messenger of God has been denied permission by the Censor
Board for release in the country.
The movie, scheduled to release on January 16, was denied certification after committee members took exception to Ram Rahim Singh, depicting himself as god in the film.
The movie has the controversial Dera chief -- who is facing cases of sexual abuse and murder -- in the lead role and portrays him as a swashbuckling hero fighting "social evils" in flashy costumes.
While the trailer has already garnered over a million hits on the popular video sharing site, YouTube; the same does not seem to be appealing to the authorities. Most of the board members showed concerns with the actor and Godman Baba Ram Rahim Singh doing miracles and performing acts to cure diseases in the film.
Earlier in the day, the revising panel after referred the movie to a tribunal after watching it.
"It is highly controversial and can hurt sentiments of people, though in terms of graphics it is an amazing movie," said board member Nandini Sardesai. "If a Batman or a Superman had done these stunts, we would have appreciated it, but he is a public figure and we cannot clear this move, so referring it to a tribunal."
However, the spokesperson for MSG has strongly condemned the argument saying that the promo of the film clearly shows the Godman mentioning that he is a normal human being. Further, to support his stance, the makers have claimed that Guruji has done what other actors do in a film i.e. fighting the evils of the society.
20:12 Jadavpur University VC resigns after Mamata meets fasting students
Jadhavpur University Vice Chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty resigned today after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who along with State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, met the fasting students.
Thirteen students of the university have been on a hunger strike since January 5 with a five-point charter of demands including the resignation of the VC whom they hold responsible for the police crackdown on them during a gherao on September 17 night.
19:57 Modi to launch 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme' on Jan 22
Government's ambitious 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme' to improve the child sex ratio will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22.
The issue of decline in CSR is complex and multi-dimensional and the scheme will address the issue within the broad framework of survival, protection and education of girl children.
Under the scheme, a multi-sectoral strategy governed by the core principles of respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of girls and women, including the ending of gender based violence will be adopted, a statement issued by Women and Child Development Ministry said.
The core strategies of BBBP include evolving a sustained social mobilization and communication campaign to change societal norms, to create equal value for the girl child, positioning improvement in the CSR as a lead development indicator for good governance, focussing on very low CSR or gender critical districts and cities for accelerated impact
19:34 AAP, BJP, Cong confident of getting a majority in Delhi polls
Major political parties in the capital including the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress exuded confidence of getting a 'majority' in the Delhi Assembly elections, the date of which was announced by the Election Commission today.
The EC announced the much-awaited Delhi assembly polls schedule, according to which voting would be held on February 7 and counting of votes on February 10.
"From the first day, the BJP has been very confident of winning Assembly polls. From January 14, our candidates will start filing nominations. We will go among the people with full energy and seek their support in the forthcoming polls," Delhi BJP in-charge Praveen Kapoor said.
Laying emphasis on its 'blueprint' for the Delhi's development, the AAP said that the party will be rewarded for its 'positive campaign'.
19:28 EC issues stern warning over hate speeches
Warning political leaders against making hate speeches, the Election Commission today said there will be strict and "ruthless" enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct during Delhi polls and it will have zero tolerance against such occurrences.
"Any statement made before the Model Code is one thing. Any statement made after the enforcement of the Model Code is another...there cannot be any advance ruling on the issue. Ruling can be made when it happens...there will be strict and ruthless enforcement of the code," Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told a press conference.
He was responding to a volley of questions on hate speeches and re-conversion programmes like 'ghar wapsi'.
Responding to a similar question, he said the poll watchdog has "zero tolerance" against prohibited activities or speeches during the conduct of polls.
19:06 Mamata asks Jadavpur University VC to step down
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who arrived in Jadavpur University this afternoon along with State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, has announced that the controversial vice chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty has been asked to resign.
Thirteen students of the university are on a hunger strike since January 5 with a five-point charter of demands including the resignation of the VC whom they hold responsible for the police crackdown on them during a gherao on September 17 night.
19:01 Tandoor case: HC refuses parole to convict Sushil Sharma
The Delhi high court today refused to grant parole to Sushil Sharma, who is serving life imprisonment for murdering his wife Naina Sahni and throwing her body in a restaurant's tandoor.
"I am not inclined to grant parole," Justice Siddharth Mridul said, adding that the convict Sharma can approach an appropriate authority of the government.
Sharma had sought parole for two months, saying he needs to take care of his ailing mother.
Sharma, a former Youth Congress leader, was convicted for murdering his wife Naina, whom he suspected of infidelity. He shot her with his licensed revolver on July 2, 1995, took her body to a restaurant, chopped it into small pieces and tried to burn it in the restaurant's tandoor.
18:42 Adani to invest Rs 20,000cr in Gujarat ports in next 5 years
Billionaire Gautam Adani-led Adani Group today announced a Rs 20,000-crore investment for expanding the capacity of its Gujarat ports to 100 million tons per annum by 2020.
The investment is on the top of Rs 25,000-crore spending the Group had announced on the first day of Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
"We are going to continue our investments in port sector. We will invest another Rs 20,000 crore over the next 5 years to add another 100 million tons capacity in Gujarat," he said at the Summit today. Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone -- a part of the Adani Group -- is India's largest multi-port operator.
It operates six ports in the country including four in Gujarat -- Kandla, Mundra, Hazira and Dahej. The ports handled a total cargo of 112.8 million tons in 2014.
18:34 Hooch claims 12 lives in UP; 100 others fall ill, 10 serious
In a major spurious liquor tragedy, 12 persons, including three of a family, died in the two districts today and over 100 others were taken ill, police said. The condition of over 10 persons admitted in hospitals in the state capital is stated to be serious, they said.
The incident occurred in Kharta and other villages in Malihabad area of Lucknow and Talasarai village in Hasanganj area of Unnao district, they said. While 8 persons lost their lives in Lucknow, four died in Unnao.
Taking a serious note of the incident, Excise Commissioner Anil Garg suspended seven employees of the department, including excise inspector of Malihabad area, and recommended action against District Excise Officer Lucknow Lal Bahadur Yadav.
18:31 CBI summon to Mukul BJP's political vendetta: Trinamool
The Trinamool Congress today attacked the BJP on the issue of CBI's summons to its leader Mukul Roy in connection with the Saradha scam saying the party was using the agency as a 'political tool' to take revenge. Party secretary-general Partha Chatterjee alleged that the BJP resorted to political vendetta in connivance with the CBI.
"This is most unfortunate that an agency is busy with preparing a blueprint for such a conspiracy before all elections," he said.
Accusing the BJP of using the agency as a "political tool" just to take revenge, Chatterjee said that people must remember that such an attempt was made even before last panchayat election in the state.
"Whenever any election comes, the BJP takes help of the CBI to resort to its revenge politics against us by destabilising the situation in the state," he said.
18:29 RSS pracharak Sanjay Joshi on the comeback trail?
Is Sanjay Joshi, whose fallout with Narendra Modi is famous and who was shunted out of the BJP in 2012, on a comeback trail?
'Hoardings of the former BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have surfaced in Lucknow announcing that the former will take part in a 'Swachh Bharat Abiyaan' programme on January 14,' reports Sandeep Joshi in The Hindu, setting off speculation that Joshi may indeed stage a ghar wapsi of another kind.
The hoardings, put up by something called the Jagrook Matdata Manch which is organising the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Lucknow, have come up in at least six prominent locations in the city, reports the newspaper.
This was not the only event that Joshi has been joining in, apparently. There have been other important functions organised by the RSS in which he was seen, leading BJP insiders to believe that his exile may soon be over.
Modi's and Joshi's power tussle goes back to the time when both were RSS 'pracharaks'; while Joshi became the national general secretary, Modi was made Gujarat chief minister in 2002, but the hostilities between them never ceased. Modi had the last laugh, when Joshi was shunted back to the RSS as a 'pracharak'.
All this, of course, may soon be a thing of the past.
You can read the full report here.
18:25 NASA robot dives into old lava crater
Space may be vast, but the planets can be pretty cramped -- especially when it comes to volcanoes. This is unfortunate because the difficult to navigate fissures that are a major volcanic feature contain clues as to the interior of planets and moons and the mechanisms that formed them.
To help learn more, NASA is dropping miniature robots down crevices inaccessible to humans as a way of extracting information about volcanoes on and off the earth.
Read the article HERE
18:10 'AirAsia Flight QZ8501 exploded after hitting the water'
AirAsia Flight QZ8501 exploded after hitting the water, an Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency official said, citing an analysis of debris patterns from the doomed jetliner. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he came to that conclusion because part of the plane's tail was broken into pieces and a flight data recorder was thrown more than a kilometre. Searchers said they had found both flight recorders in the Java Sea, a major breakthrough in the effort to figure out why the plane crashed last month.
17:53 Saudi cleric issues fatwa against building snowmen
A religious scholar in Saudi Arabia has reportedly issued a fatwa against building snowmen in the kingdom, stating the practice is not acceptable to Islam.Mohammad Saleh Al Minjed said people must not build any snowmen or snow models of animals. However, making snow models of lifeless things, such as ships, fruit and buildings, was apparently acceptable in Islam, the scholar said.
17:27 Who did Virat Kohli meet?
Virat Kohli was awestruck when he met tennis superstar and legend Roger Federer. Taking to Twitter after meeting the star, he wrote, "A Day i'll never forget. Greatness on and off the court. @rogerfederer Absolute legend."
17:19
Nitin Gokhale tweets: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar apparently sets July 2015 deadline for full implementation of One Rank One Pension.
16:58 CEC VS Sampath announces his last election
Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath announced the dates for the Delhi polls, in what is his last press conference. Sampath will be retiring on January 15. According to reports, senior-most election commissioner Hari Shankar Brahma is likely to be appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner after Sampath steps down.
16:50 Delhi to go to polls on February 7, counting on Feb 10
Delhi will go to polls on February 7 and the results will be announced on February 10, the Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath announced. He also added that nominations would open on January 14 and close on January 21. The scrutiny of the candidates would be on January 22 and the last date of withdrawal would be on January 24. CEC Sampath will retire from his post on January 15, which might make this his last press conference.
Delhi has been under President's Rule since February last year after Arvind Kejriwal-led government quit after 49 days in office.
16:45 President's Rule in Delhi to expire on February 15
V Sampath, the chief election commissioner, announced that the President's Rule in Delhi would expire on February 15. President's Rule was imposed in Delhi after Arvind Kejriwal resigned in February last year.
16:31 Interrogate me and Mukul Roy together, Kunal Ghosh tells CBI
Just In: Former Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday urging it to interrogate the Trinamool general secretary Mukul Roy and him together, sources told rediff.com, reports Indrani Roy.
On Monday, the CBI summoned Roy as part of its probe into the Saradha scam.
16:27 Goa to make LGBTs normal with medicines
The Goa government is contemplating to set up centres on the line of Alcoholic Anonymous for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, where they will be trained and administered medicine in order to make them 'normal', state sports and youth affairs minister Ramesh Tawadkar said on Monday.
16:20 The Charlie Hebdo I Know
This weekend, in white block letters projected against the darkened upper facade of the Arc de Triomphe, one could read the words, 'PARIS EST CHARLIE'. Mayor Anne Hidalgo had announced on Friday that Charlie Hebdowould be made an "honorary citizen" of Paris, a title reserved, she said, "for the most illustrative defenders of human rights throughout the world."
The eight slain members of the publication, and four others who died with them, were heroes, Hidalgo told the assembled city government that morning, fighting to uphold the right to freedom of speech. That right, she said, is "sacred."
Read more HERE
16:05 Haiti's healing far from finished 5 years after deadly earthquake
Haiti officially marks the five-year anniversary of the earthquake today with a ceremony at the site of the mass graves near Port au Prince, where the bodies of so many of the 230,000 killed by the 2010 disaster were unceremoniously dumped.
It will also be marked by smaller ceremonies in Port au Prince itself, including one at a UN compound that crumbled in the quake, and at the Canadian embassy where there's an inukshuk in memory of the 58 Canadians who died in the Jan. 12, 2010 quake.
15:45 John Kerry involved in minor car accident in Ahmedabad
Secretary of State John Kerry has been involved in a minor car accident in India, his spokeswoman said.
No injuries were reported in the accident, which occurred as Kerry's motorcade was headed to the airport in Ahmedabad.
"During the drive to the airport in Ahmedabad, India, two cars in the motorcade had a minor traffic accident resulting in some damage to both cars," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
15:43 Bhatkal Muslim body objects to police raid
A social organisation run by Bhatkal Muslims has demanded that the police and the NIA, who claimed to have seized explosives from a few suspects with terror links from Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district, should come clean on certain issues, including why they did not take the local people into confidence before the raids.
The body, Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem, said the local people should have been taken into confidence if the investigation team had knowledge that the explosives were hidden inside a house in the town before conducting the raids.
The contents of the bag recovered from the house were not revealed by the search officials and that the police party stayed inside the house for seven to eight hours also remained a mystery, the organisation said in a statement.
The organisation was planning to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the matter, it said.
15:23 SIT probe decision into Ranjit Sinha's role in Coalgate on Feb 15
Just In: The Supreme Court will consider on February 15 the plea for an SIT probe against ex-CBI chief Ranjit Sinha for his alleged interference in the Coalgate probe.
On Monday, the court also sought an explanation from the Gujarat government for not providing documents to the CBI on the allocation of two coal blocks in the state.
15:19 'No evidence of tampering of evidence in Sunanda's room'
Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi today said the questioning of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in connection with the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar is "possible in the next couple of days".
When asked about media reports that the evidence in the hotel room where Sunanda was found dead on January 17 last year was tampered with, Bassi said, "There is no basis to these allegations."
"I know that he (Tharoor) has come to Delhi. Our investigation is on and it is possible in the next couple of days or whenever the SIT will find it appropriate, they will question him," he said.
The police chief also did not rule out questioning Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar, and said if the SIT finds anything relevant, "that will not be ignored". Bassi also said Sunanda's viscera samples have not been sent abroad for testing as yet.
15:16 Fourth ship to join search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
A fourth ship with specialised underwater sonar equipment will join the search for a Malaysia Airlines jet 10 months after it vanished under mysterious circumstances off the west coast of Australia.
The ship Fugro Supporter was on its way to the search area after conducting trials off the Indonesian island of Bali, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said in a statement.
15:15 France deploys nearly 5,000 police to protect Jewish schools
France will deploy nearly 5,000 security forces and police to protect the 700 Jewish schools in the country, as Prime Minister Manuel Valls said today that the gunman who attacked a kosher supermarket probably had an accomplice.
Amedy Coulibaly, who killed a policewoman in southern Paris then four Jewish shoppers in a hostage drama, probably received help from someone else, Manuel Valls said, pledging "the hunt will go on".
15:03 Bengal education minister to visit restive Jadavpur university
West Bengal Education Minister Patha Chatterjee is likely to visit Jadavpur University today to meet the students who are on a fast unto death demanding vice chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty's resignation. The condition of a few protesters is said to be critical.
Insiders say the government is likely to ask the VC to put in his papers.
14:58 Six suicide bombers killed in China's Xinjiang province
Six militants suspected to be suicide bombers were killed today by the police in China's volatile violence-torn Xinjiang province, which is in the grip of attacks staged by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
The clash was triggered when residents of Shule county in the province noticed 'a suspicious person carrying an explosive device'. They called the police, who opened fire after the man tried to attack an officer with an axe and detonate the device, the State-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Another five attackers attempted to ignite explosive devices attached to their bodies while the policemen were attempting to deal with the 'suspect'. They were also killed by the policemen on the spot, the report said. No casualties of policemen or civilians was reported.
14:39 France deploys nearly 5,000 police to protect Jewish schools
France will deploy nearly 5,000 security forces and police to protect the 700 Jewish schools in the country, as Prime Minister Manuel Valls said today that the gunman who attacked a kosher supermarket probably had an accomplice.
Amedy Coulibaly, who killed a policewoman in southern Paris then four Jewish shoppers in a hostage drama, probably received help from someone else, Manuel Valls said, pledging "the hunt will go on".
14:28 Mukul Roy to appear before CBI by this weekend
Trinamool Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigaiton in connection with the multi-crore Saradha scam.
Roy, a close aide of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been given time till the end of the week to appear before the CBI officers investigating the Saradha scam.
Further details soon.
14:21 Kim Jong-un to open restaurant in Scotland
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is reportedly planning to open a new restaurant in the UK.
According to the Daily Star, the tyrant is eyeing up locations in Scotland as he looks to expand the state-backed chain of restaurants that started springing up in China and the rest of Asia before making their way to Europe.
The restaurant, if opened, will be the second North Korean government eating joint in all of Europe.The first North Korean government restaurant was opened in Amsterdam in 2012.
It is reported that 30 percent of the total takings of the food outlets goes to Pyongyang , but critics think the cash will be used by Kim to maintain his own lavish lifestyle.
14:09 Re-released ISIS video targets US, France, Australia, Canada
New York Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the United States have reportedly gone on high alert after someone re-released a video posted by the Islamic State in September that urges followers to 'rise up and kill intelligence officers, police officers, soldiers, and civilians'.
The threat specifically named the United States, France, Australia and Canada as targets.While NYPD officials were told in an internal memo to 'remain alert and consider tactics at all times while on patrol' in the aftermath of the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Homeland Security issued a similar bulletin to law enforcement across the country, reported CNN.
The bulletin and the NYPD memo made it clear that the new message is consistent with previous threats that IS and others, including Al Qaeda, have issued.
14:07 Paris attacks: Hollande to hold security meeting
French President Francois Hollande is to chair a crisis meeting with cabinet ministers on national security after last week's deadly attacks.
The meeting comes amid questions over how militants known to the authorities were able to launch the raids in Paris.
The assault on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and separate attacks on police officers and a kosher supermarket killed 17 people.
13:43 Record attendance by ministers at Vibrant Gujarat
For the first time in 10 years, many Union ministers were present at the Vibrant Gujarat 2015 meet. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, not one to let a chance at a dig pass, asked at a business interaction, 'What does it show, why did the UPA boycott Vibrant Gujarat?'
Incidentally, Jaitley's is predecessor had written a column on Sunday taking all credit for the success of economic reforms in the country.
13:19 Goa to extend ban on Sri Ram Sene
Hours after Sri Ram Sene announced plans to start its operations in Goa, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today said the state government will extend the ban on the controversial right-wing outfit for six months.
"The ban on Sri Ram Sene would be extended by another six months. I was not aware that the ban imposed on it had lapsed in December. Some media reports pointed out that we have failed to grant the extension," he told reporters after opening the new office premises for Chief Information Commissioner in Panaji.
13:17 Govt tells top court it accepts EC's plan for postal ballot
Just In: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it has accepted in letter and spirit the Election Commission's suggestion to extend voting rights to NRIs through postal ballot.
13:12 Will work towards Modi's vision to supply 24/7 electricity to India: Kerry
Obama is really happy to be the first US president to be visiting India twice, says United States Secretary of State John Kerry, while addressing the 'Vibrant Gujarat' summit at Gandhinagar.
'This is the moment when oldest democracy and largest democracy are capitalising on our connections between each other.
'During my discussion with PM Modi and other officials,we reviewed the progress of our economic relationship and how to take it ahead.
'We will work towards the PM's vision to supplying 24/7 electricity to India,' Kerry said during his media interaction.
The photograph of Kerry at the media conference was taken by Sheela Bhatt.
13:08 Modi Sarkar yet to announce new CEC's name
It's not just ambassadorial appointments that seem to have been held up by Modi Sarkar. Also pending is a successor to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, who will demit office on January 15, just three days away.
It is mandatory that constitutional positions are announced one month before the incumbent demits office. The secretary in the Union ministry of law submits the file to the Prime Minister's Office 30 days in advance, so why is the PMO sitting on it?
13:03 Nitish-Manjhi spat may lead to JD-U
Differences between Nitish Kumar and Jitan Ram Manjhi have cropped up in Bihar, with the former repenting having chosen the latter as chief minister. According to a senior JD-U leader, it won't be surprising if his party splits before its merger with Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Lok Dal.
The Bihar assembly poll is slated for October this year.
13:01 Modi to tell envoys to focus on nipping terror funding
More on the envoys' meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February. Apart from understanding the issues of diplomats face in the country of their posting, Modi is keen to focus on "terror funding" from foreign countries, and has asked each diplomat to collect statistics from local governments and also use their skill to neutralise the sources of terror funding.
13:00 Italian marine's plea transferred to another SC bench
Just In: The Supreme Court has referred murder accused Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre's plea for extending his stay in Italy to another bench for hearing on Wednesday. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India H L Dattu said on Monday that it can't hear the matter as it had made certain observations earlier on an identical plea.
12:55 7 paramilitary soldiers killed in militants' attack in Pak
Seven soldiers of paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) were killed today in an attack by militants in Pakistan's south-western province of Balochistan, a security official said.
More than three dozen militants armed with automatic weapons attacked a security check post in Mekhtar area of Loralai district, killing seven soldiers, the official said.
12:55 Rohingya woman suffocates in migrant truck in Thailand
A Rohingya woman has died after suffocating in a truck packed with migrants from the Myanmar Muslim minority group as they travelled through southern Thailand, police said today.
Authorities found five pickup trucks carrying nearly 100 Rohingya before dawn yesterday in the Hua Sai district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province on the Gulf of Thailand.
12:29 Delhi poll dates to be out today
The Election Commission of India will announce the dates on which Delhi will poll at 4.30 pm today.
The Supreme Court has told the government that NRIs must be allowed to e-vote within 8 weeks.
12:18 Vacancies dog Indian missions in key world capitals
'Indian envoys from all over the world have been asked to fly home for a conference of heads of missions in the second week of February. This will be the first such meeting since 2012 and the vast majority of its participants will be meeting Modi for the first time,' writes K P Nayar, arguably the finest Indian reporter on diplomacy, in The Telegraph, Kolkata.
But that's not the story.
It's that in the eight months in office, the Narendra Modi government has not appointed a single ambassador.
And that's not because there are no capable women/men to man the world's capitals.
'A list of some 15 new ambassadors to be appointed by the Modi government has become a kind of bureaucratic football. It is understood that foreign secretary Sujatha Singh sent this list to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj almost two months ago routinely, anticipating retirements and end of tenures,' writes Nayar. But Sushma, apprehensive that 'Modi may live up to his reputation and want her to justify these appointments by asking searching questions,' has reportedly ask the FS to justify the nominations and make a watertight case for them.
While this exercise is going on, among the mission that are headless are Canada, which Modi may visit in March or April, Syria, and Saudi Arabia where the ambassador is on extension awaiting his replacement.
Apart from these stations, Nayar points out, the tenure of heads of missions at Dhaka, Seoul and Bahrain and at least 30 others are coming to a close. And with a search soon to begin for a new foreign secretary, a further shifting around of some ambassadors is expected.
To come back to the meeting of envoys, senior MEA officials feel that such a gathering would make more sense once all the diplomatic vacancies are filled, as that would also help the new appointees to hit the ground running.
11:55 Hizbul Mujahideen militant arrested near LoC
A Hizbul Mujahideen militant has been arrested near the Line of Control in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, police said today.
Showkat Ahmad Awan, a resident of Pehlipora village of south Kashmir's Shopian district, was arrested on January nine near the LoC in Tangdar sector of Kupwara, police said.
11:51 Nigeria rocked by child suicide bombings
The bombing by two suspected child suicide bombers in a crowded market on Sunday capped a week of horror and marked an ominous escalation in violence, with elections in Africa's most populous nation less than five weeks away.
A day earlier in the neighbouring Borno state, another young girl, also believed to have been about 10 years old, was stopped for a security check in the capital's main market when bombs strapped to her detonated, killing at least 16 people.
11:43 AP bus accident: Toll rises to 16
The toll in the accident of a state-run bus in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district rose to 16 today following the death of the bus driver. Bus driver H Gangappa succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bengaluru at around 5 am.
Earlier, 15 people, mostly college students, were killed and 35 others got injured when the bus in which they were travelling fell into a dug up area adjoining a hilly road near Penukonda in Anantapur on January 7.
11:31 Arson attacks on home and office of Hong Kong media tycoon
The Hong Kong home and office of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was hit by arson attacks in the early hours today, police said.
The attacks came as tension remains high in the southern Chinese city after more than two months of protests for free leadership elections, which ended when rally camps were cleared in December.
11:29 Police launch manhunt for killers of witness in Asaram case
Three police teams have been formed to apprehend the two assailants who shot dead Akhil Gupta, a witness in the rape case against Asaram Bapu in Surat, on Sunday evening.
Akhil's cousin Ashish Gupta has lodged an FIR against two unidentified persons, Senior Superintendent of Police H N Singh said.
11:13 Paris Jews reel after deadly kosher supermarket attack
Last week's chaotic violence in Paris reached a spectacular climax on Friday afternoon, when a lone gunman stormed through the doors of a kosher supermarket, Kalashnikov blazing, and took its customers siege.
Four hostages died in the terrifying four-hour ordeal. Amedy Coulibaly's assault in Paris's easternmost neighborhood appeared to erupt out of nowhere after days dominated by the Charlie Hebdomassacre; it jangled already frayed French nerves and pushed security forces close to a breaking point.
10:30 Mob sets fire to trucks after accident in Jamshedpur
A mob in the Saraikela area of the Jamshedpur district set fire to six trucks after a road accident resulted in the death of a motorcyclist.
According to reports, the motorcyclist had been hit from behind by a lorry and was killed on the spot.
10:22 Obama's visit: Big sales pitch awaits US for Make in India
Ahead of President Barack Obama's visit, the government is readying a big sales pitch in the US for its Make in India initiative and simultaneously holding parleys with officials in Washington to unveil some big announcements during the trip later this month.
Department of industrial policy and promotion ( DIPP) secretary Amitabh Kant will head the team travelling to the US for an outreach on Make in India in Washington to drive investments in smart cities, industrial corridors and defense manufacturing.
10:06 Rupee up 23 paise against dollar in early trade
Rising for the fourth straight session, the rupee gained 23 paise at 62.09 against the dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange on increased selling of the US currency by exporters.
09:30 Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu, targets four villages
In yet another case of ongoing ceasefire violation by Pakistan along International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan forces on Monday morning opened fire at four villages in Hiranagar area of Jammu region.
No casualties have been reported.Earlier on last Tuesday Pakistan forces restored heavy firing at 5 Border Security Force posts in Jammu's Hiranagar sector and two BSF posts and civilians in Kathua sector.
09:19 Over 120,000 duplications detected in Delhi electoral rolls
The Election Commission of India has detected over 120,000 duplications in the electoral rolls of Delhi.
In an official release, the ECI said that a number of steps have been taken to prevent bogus voting in upcoming assembly polls.
The ECI was responding to complaints by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress that Delhi's electoral rolls carried names of a large number of bogus voters.
09:05 Vasant Kunj rape case: Delhi police arrests accused
Man accused of murdering woman in Delhi's Vasant Kunj area last week arrested.
Victim was raped confirms post-mortem, says Delhi Police.
08:53 Divers retrieve AirAsia jet's black box recorders from sea
Searchers today retrieved the black box recorders of ill-fated AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea two weeks ago with 162 people on board, Indonesian officials said.
"I received information from the National Transport Safety Committee chief that at 07:11 am (local time), we have managed to get part of black box or the flight data recorder (FDR)," Bambang Soelistyo, the chief of Indonesia's search and rescue agency Basarnas, told reporters.
08:17 Tharoor meets Ahmad Patel; brief discussion on Sunanda case
Congress MP Sashi Tharoor on Sunday met Ahmad Patel , political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, during which the issue of Delhi Police filing a murder case in his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death was briefly discussed.
Highly placed sources in the party said that Tharoor had sought an appointment with Patel two days ago.
08:10 NE Nigeria hit by wave of suicide bombings as violence spikes
Four people were killed in suicide attacks by two female bombers in the latest deadly violence in northeast Nigeria after the military appealed for support to help fight Boko Haram.
The two women yesterday targeted a crowded market in Potiskum, Yobe State, a day after 19 people were killed in a similar attack in neighbouring Borno State, by a girl thought to be aged just 10.
08:05 Video of Paris gunman raises questions of affiliations
Two days after his death, a video has emerged of one of the Paris gunmen pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group, while his two fellow militants have claimed to be from al-Qaida a fiercely rival extremist organisation.
That seeming contradiction has raised questions about the connections among the three French attackers, whether they acted with the direct involvement or knowledge of the networks, and whether their friendship allowed them to put aside the rift between the groups.
08:02 Hungary restarts gas supplies to Ukraine
Hungary has restarted gas supplies to neighbouring Ukraine, Hungarian pipeline network operator FGSZ Zrt has said, after suspending deliveries in September, prompting criticism from Ukraine's state-owned gas firm Naftogaz.
08:01 Millions unite against terrorism in historic French demos
Millions marched against terrorism in the largest protests France has ever seen, led by world leaders in Paris uniting in tribute to the victims of Islamist attacks as the crowd cried "Not Afraid".
The interior ministry said nearly four million people took to the streets across the country yesterday, with some estimates putting the number in Paris alone at 1.6 million.
08:01 Iraq PM criticises 'slowness' of coalition support for army
Iraq's Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has criticised the "slowness" of the US-led international coalition against Islamic State jihadists in providing military support to his army.
The IS group last year took control of large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.
08:00 Top headlines in that last 24 hours
'Freedom, freedom Charlie,' chants Paris at 'unity march'
PHOTOS: At historic Paris march, world leaders show the way
AirAsia jet's black box found, says Indonesia
Paris gunman claims to be Islamic State member in video
German newspaper that printed Charlie Hebdo cartoons attacked
Rajapaksa attempted coup after losing polls, says new Sri Lankan govt
Where is France's most wanted woman?
Vibrant Gujarat summit is the Davos of the East: Saurabh Patel
PHOTOS: At historic Paris march, world leaders show the way
AirAsia jet's black box found, says Indonesia
Paris gunman claims to be Islamic State member in video
German newspaper that printed Charlie Hebdo cartoons attacked
Rajapaksa attempted coup after losing polls, says new Sri Lankan govt
Where is France's most wanted woman?
Vibrant Gujarat summit is the Davos of the East: Saurabh Patel
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