Live! 1,200 migrants rescued by Italy in sea off Libyan coast

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Sat, 02 May 2015

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23:31 1,200 migrants rescued by Italy in sea off Libyan coast

Ships from the Italian Coast Guard and navy have rescued more than 1,200 migrants after smugglers' boats ran into trouble in the Mediterranean Sea near Libya.

Italian officials say the migrants were being taken Saturday to Italian ports after several different rescue operations, including helping some 200 people aboard motorized rubber dinghies a day earlier south of Sicily.

The smugglers' boats had set out in a spell of warm, calm weather.

Two weeks earlier, a fishing boat in which smugglers had crammed an estimated 800 people capsized in what is the largest known loss of life in a single boat accident involving migrants trying to reach Italian shores.

There were only 28 survivors. The deaths prompted a humanitarian outcry and a European Union pledge to boost rescue efforts.

An Indian-origin Gujarati woman working at a gas station in the US state of South Carolina has been shot in the face and left critically injured in an attempted armed robbery.

Mradulaben Patel was the co-owner and clerk of a store at a gas station in Powdersville. Police have asked for help in identifying the man who believed to have shot Patel in the face Thursday night, Fox Carolina reported.

The report quoted Patel's friend Dilip Shah as saying that she had surgery yesterday and the doctors are monitoring her. He said he could not make out the reason for the shooting.

"She never had any problem with any customers," Shah said.

Deputies said the video shows a man walking into the store and they said he bought a pack of cigars. Authorities are reviewing the surveillance footage that showed the suspect, moments before, asking for cigars and then shooting Patel without taking any money.

An assistant sub inspector of the Mumbai Police opened fire at a senior police officer inside the Vakola police station this evening.

After opening fire at his senior, the assistant sub inspector reportedly shot himself dead.

The senior inspector has sustained injuries in the incident.

More details are awaited.

Read more details HERE.

22:03 British crime writer Ruth Rendell dies

Best-selling British crime writer Ruth Rendell, who wrote over 60 books in a career spanning five decades, died today at the age of 85, her publisher said.

Rendell suffered a stroke in January and had been in a critical condition in hospital.

In a statement, Penguin Random House said: "We are devastated by the loss of one of our best-loved authors."

"We will miss her enormously," it said.

Gail Rebuck, chair of Penguin Random House UK, said: "Ruth was much admired by the whole publishing industry for her brilliant body of work.

"An insightful and elegant observer of society, many of her award-winning thrillers and psychological murder mysteries highlighted the causes she cared so deeply about," she said.

Rendell was best known for psychological thrillers delving into the criminal mind as well as the successful television adaptation "The Ruth Rendell Mysteries".

Her fictional creation, the sensitive Chief Inspector Reginald Wexford, featured in her first novel "From Doon to Death" (1964) and throughout her career.

The UN's humanitarian chief said today she was "extremely concerned" that Nepal's customs authorities were slowing the delivery of quake aid, and had urged the prime minister to fix the problem.

There have been numerous reports of foreign aid getting stuck at Kathmandu's small international airport or even turned back at the border with India by customs officials.

"I was extremely concerned to hear reports that customs was taking such a long time. I was able to raise this with the prime minister this morning," Amos told AFP at the end of a visit to Nepal after a 7.8-magnitude quake that has killed thousands and left many more homeless.

Amos said she had reminded Prime Minister Sushil Koirala that Nepal had signed an agreement with the United Nations in 2007 that provides for simpler and faster customs clearance for relief aid in the event of a disaster.

"He has undertaken to ensure that happens, so I hope that from now we will see an improvement in those administrative issues."

Nepal's government has faced criticism for the slow pace of relief efforts, with many remote communities yet to receive any aid a week after the quake struck.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today pulled buses run by Orbit Aviation off the roads, after massive protests over the death of a 14-year-old who was molested and then thrown off a moving bus on Wednesday.

Mr Badal has asked the company to send the bus operating staff on an orientation course and has ordered that no buses should run till the completion of the course.

The Akali government is facing intense political heat over the teen's death. The 14-year-old girl and her mother were abused and groped by a group of men, including the conductor, before being thrown from the bus on Wednesday. The bus was run by Orbit Aviation, co-owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal's family.

Read full story HERE.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar witnessed four-hour long naval manoeuvring between Indian Navy and its French counterpart off Goa coast today- the concluding day of 'Varuna' exercises.

Parsekar along with the officials of French Embassy and Navies saw the aircrafts landing and parading sitting on French Naval aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is leading the group for the western country.

The exercises had began on April 23 off Goa coast with around 16 hours of practise between both the navies to understand each others' strength, and also sync the understanding during the emergency times.

"This was very good week for Indo-French relations. We have a range of cooperation which are moving forward. This time French and Indian Navy are working together," said French Ambassador Francois Richier, talking to PTI after participating in the VIP day on board the aircraft carrier.

"Today we went together with the Chief Minister of Goa and range of navy officers to participate in the VIP day. We were watching the activity from the aircraft carrier. We could see Indian and French navies parading together," he said.

A notebook dedicated to the works of the maestro was launched today to mark Satyajit Ray's 95th birth anniversary today.

The notebook, launched by the Society for the Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives and retail chain Starmark, showcases some of the iconic posters and booklet covers created by Ray himself who was also a pioneering illustrator and graphic artist.

Titled 'Ray/Short Takes', it is a tribute to Ray who is one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century and had won Academy Award for lifetime achievement.

The foreward of the book is written by Ray's son film director Sandip about the maestro's graphic world.

The notebook also contains short interesting anecdotes about his films by Debasis Mukhopadhyay, a well-known Ray researcher.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid homage to Ray. "Maharaja tomare selam" (Maharaj I salute you), she tweeted along with a photo of him.

Best known for his Apu trilogy and 'Charulata', Ray had passed away in 1992.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday championed the new Sri Lankan government's push for democratic reform and promised closer ties with the strategically located Indian Ocean nation.

"In this journey to restore your democracy, the American people stand with you," said Kerry, on the first visit to the island in a decade by the top US diplomat.

Kerry met with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. On Sunday, he planned to see leaders from the Tamil minority.

Read full statement HERE.

A series of Saudi airstrikes hit a hospital and medical camp in southwestern Yemen on Friday, killing at least 58 civilians and injuring at least 67, two local Yemeni government officials said.

Most of the dead and injured were medics and patients, they said.

Raheda Hospital is one of the largest and busiest in the area. The medical camp is part of the hospital.

Both are in Saqee Dam, a small town outside the city of Taiz in Taiz Province. Houthis have been clashing in Taiz for more than a month with forces loyal to President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.

Three local Yemeni government officials said the hospital was not being used by Houthi rebels and that none of the dead was a rebel fighter.

Houthi rebels seized the Taiz international airport last month, days before Saudi Arabia and its allies began airstrikes against rebel positions across the country.

Read full story HERE.

Aam Aadmi Party today asked BJP to "introspect" over Arun Shourie's criticism that Narendra Modi government's economic policies were "directionless" and that it has failed to rein in "anxiety" among minorities.

"This is for sure that this is a government of headlines. And Shourie was right in saying that they (aforementioned trio of Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley) have frightened the workers by running the show," AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai said.

Hailing Shourie as one of the "pioneers" of the country's economic liberalisation, he said "BJP should take note of his comments and introspect".

In an interview, Shourie had yesterday attacked the government over its economic policies, fear among the minorities and relations with the opposition parties.

He was also critical of Modi's "silence" on issues relating to social tensions on account of activities of right wing organisations and statements by some party MPs and leaders.

"You tweet when Sania Mirza wins championship or greet someone on birthdays but you don't do such things when moral questions are involved. People doubt why he is silent," he said.

18:43 Mass grave found in Thailand

At least 30 graves containing human remains have been found in a "detention camp" in southern Thailand, along with a lone male survivor, Thai authorities said.

The survivor is "very sick" and has been hospitalized, said Thai police spokesman Lt. General Prawut Thavornsiri. Police have not been able to interview the survivor yet and aren't sure of his nationality, but they believe he is Burmese.

Thai authorities learned about the camp from a suspect who tipped them off, Thavornsiri said. He would not say whether that suspect was linked with human trafficking.

"It is still under investigation," Thavornsiri said. "I can't reveal much information yet."

Read full story HERE.

17:40 Nepal's child goddess unscathed in quake

When the deadly earthquake battered Nepal last week, major temples in Kathmandu' Darbar Square were razed to the ground, but the home of a nine-year-old girl worshipped as a living goddess remained almost unscathed.

Kumari, the city's living child goddess, is the prominent of the girls who are worshipped as the symbol of the fearsome Hindu goddess Durga until they reach puberty after which they are replaced.

As the earth started shaking on April 25 just before noon, most of the ancient structures in the Square collapsed but the living goddess' small palace just got a few cracks.

The families of the previous Kumaris who also reside in the courtyard did not run away to safer places, believing that the child goddess "will save them from her powers".

"If the reigning Kumari assured us about our safety, we knew that we would not be hurt," the mother of a previous Kumari told the Nepali Times.

"We believe that it was her powers that might have protected the place," said a member of one of the dozen-strong family that guards the child goddess revered by Nepal's Hindus.

Kumari, a pre-pubescent girl selected from the Shakya caste or Bajracharya clan of the Nepalese Newari community, lives in isolation in her small palace and emerges only on feast days when she is paraded in ceremonial dress.

The 7.9-magnitude quake claimed nearly 6,624 lives with another 14,025 people injured and left a trail of devastation and suffering in the Himalayan nation.

17:39 29 militants killed, 133 arrested in Egypt

Twenty nine militants have been killed and 133 others arrested in army raids in Egypt's volatile North Sinai region, military said today.

The raids were conducted in Rafah, Al-Arish and Sheikh Zawayed cities between April 20 and 30, said army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir.

He said 133 militants were arrested, while 51 militant hideouts were destroyed during the raids.

About 130 unlicensed vehicles and motorcycles used by militants to carry out attacks on police and army personnel were also destroyed, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The restive North Sinai region has witnessed several violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

More than 500 security personnel have been reported killed in militant attacks since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belonged to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

Hungry, homeless young boys in the Central African Republic were forced by French soldiers to perform sex acts on them in return for food or money, the director of an advocacy group said Thursday, citing a confidential United Nations report on alleged abuses.

Paula Donovan, co-director of AIDS-Free World, told CNN the report detailed testimonies from six children interviewed last year by staff from the UN children's agency UNICEF and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Read full story HERE.

In a u-turn, former Deputy Inspector General of Central Bureau of Investigation Neeraj Kumar denied reports said that at no stage was one of India most wanted terrorist and underworld don Dawood willing to surrender and no one stopped him from surrendering.

The clarification came after Kumar faced criticism following a report which had attributed the claim to his book.

Kumar had claimed that said he spoke to Dawood thrice in June 1994 and he was toying with idea of surrendering.

He even said that the investigating agency refused Dawood's offer to surrender as the CBI was unwilling to guarantee Dawood's safety.

Read more HERE

15:06 Kathmandu's 'living goddess' survives quake

When a devastating quake hit Nepal last week, a nine-year-old girl worshipped as a living goddess was preparing to receive devotees at her home in the heart of Kathmandu's Durbar Square.

As the earth shook, the ancient temples and statues that packed the square collapsed, sending a massive cloud of rubble and dust into the air. But the home of the living goddess, or Kumari, escaped with just a few cracks.

"She protected us," said Durga Shakya, the 55-year-old caretaker of the Kumari house, who like all her entourage is from the Newar community indigenous to the Kathmandu valley.

"Look around, the Kumari home is intact. There is a little crack on the other side, but otherwise nothing has happened," she told AFP in Kathmandu.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vowed to support the aggrieved middle class home buyers who have been facing serious issues relating to trust deficit from builders including untimely delivery of housing projects.

Speaking to the media after meeting a delegation of home buyers from Delhi-NCR region at AICC Headquarters in the national capital, Gandhi said, I have met 100-200 people today and I have learnt that not only farmers and adivasis, the middle class people in India too are being supressed.

Attacking the BJP government at the Centre on the new Real Estate Bill, Gandhi said, The (erstwhile) UPA bill had a clear transparency clause in which the buyers would get the same carpet area as mentioned in the documents. However the provisions in the current Bill have been diluted. The new Bill is not pro-buyer but it is a pro-builder.

Stating that he will lend full support to the middle class home buyers, the Congress VP said that there are a lot of irregularities in issues like super area and delivery date.

Someone told me that the builder had promised a 'great view' from the flat...the 'view' was only till the builder built a new tower, he added.

The bill, moved by the previous UPA government, has been brought by the current dispensation with amendments to the proposed legislation.

Gangster Dawood Ibrahim, main accused in the 1993 Mumbai blast, wanted to surrender but he was worried that the rival gang would finish him off if he comes back to India, claims former Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar.

"I spoke to a jittery Dawood three times in June 1994...He seemed to be toying with the idea of surrendering but had one worry -- his rival gangs could finish him off if he returned to India. I told him his safety would be the responsibility of the CBI," Kumar told Hindustan Times.

According to a report, the underworld don even spoke thrice to the then CBI DIG Neeraj Kumar but for some reason, the agency didn't take him up on his offer.

Read more HERE

Zee News Reports: After facing flak from all quarters over a purported ayurvedic product by yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Divya Pharmacy promising male child, Patanjali Yogapeeth on Saturday stated that a disclaimer will be put on the product, claiming it is for women and has nothing to do with sex determination.

Patanjali Yogapeeth spokesperson SK Tijarawala told Zee News that the institute will soon put a disclaimer on the product.

Patanjali will put a disclaimer on Putrajeevak medicine that its is for women and has no relation with sex determination, said Tijarawala.

Patanjali's statement comes two days after the Rajya Sabha witnessed uproar over much-publicised infertility medicine 'Divya Putrajeevak Seed'.

Several Opposition members had joined in condemning sale of such products and demanded action.

After much haggling over a financial dispute, Kamal Haasan-starrer "Uttama Villain" hit the silver screens today, bringing relief to the actor's avid fans.

"All issues sorted out... 'Uttama Villain' releasing today all over... Thanks to all who supported for the film to get released," Haasan's publicist Nikkil Murugan posted on micro-blogging site Twitter.

The film hit the screens at 11 am, industry sources said.

Earlier, hectic parleys were held throughout the night to settle a financial dispute between the producers and some people.

The film, originally slated for a typical Friday release, had hit a roadblock following financial issues, disappointing the 60-year-old star's fans, who had thronged the theatres across the state in anticipation of watching their icon's latest movie, which had earlier crossed legal hurdles with a court declining to stay the film.

Vishva Hindu Parishad had objected to the portrayal of Lord Vishnu in the film.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Pakistan should stop interfering in India`s internal matters and rather worry about their own selves.

"Pakistan should worry about themselves and should not interfere in the internal matters of India. We cannot accept even any other nation's interference in India`s internal matters," Singh told ANI.

Singh`s reaction comes after Aslam had earlier said that any efforts to create special townships in Jammu and Kashmir would violate the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, and added that the people of the state are resisting such change.

As the Akali Dal-led Punjab government battles massive political protests over the death of a teen who was molested and then thrown off a moving bus in Moga district, a minister sought to play down the incident, calling her death as "God's will", while a party lawmaker called it an "accident".

The 14-year-old girl and her mother were abused and groped by a group of men, including the conductor, before being thrown from the bus on Wednesday.

The girl died instantly. Her mother was seriously injured.

"No one can stand against God's will... Even cars and planes have accidents... we should leave all this to God," Punjab's Education Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra said at an event on Friday.

His party colleague and Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain said, "You know a lot of accidents take place. Whatever the compensation... If it's settled out of court, is agreeable to both the parties."

The Akali government is facing intense political heat over the teen's death - the minor and her mother were attacked on a bus run by Orbit Aviation, a company owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is the son of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will visit earthquake-hit areas of Bihar today to meet victims and to take stock of the ongoing rescue and relief operations, party leaders said.

"Rahul Gandhi will visit Raxaul, Darbhanga, and Sitamarhi on Saturday to meet victims and to take stock of the situation of ongoing rescue and relief operations in Bihar," said a party leader.

According to Congress leaders, Gandhi will visit relief camps housing hundreds of people, who returned from earthquake-ravaged Nepal in Raxaul of border East Champaran district.

It will be first visit of Gandhi to the state after last Lok Sabha polls when he visited Bihar for campaigning.

09:26 Nepal earthquake death toll climbs to 6,621

Nepal government ruled out the possibility of finding more survivors buried in the rubble from massive earthquake as it announced the death toll had risen to 6,621.

"It has already been one week since the disaster," home ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said.

"We are trying our best in rescue and relief work but now I don't think that there is any possibility of survivors under the rubble."

Dhakal put the number of injured at 14,023.

The 7.9-magnitude quake, which was the deadliest in Nepal for more than 80 years, devastated vast swathes of the country when it erupted at 11:44 AM on April 25 and reduced much of the capital Kathmandu to ruins.

09:26

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