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Fri, 01 January 2016
Live! 2 killed, at least 4 wounded in Tel Aviv pub shooting
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21:00 2 killed, at least 4 wounded in Tel Aviv pub shooting
Two people have been killed and at least four others were seriously injured in a shooting near a pub in Tel Aviv, Israel, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told CNN Friday.
Large numbers of police officers in Tel Aviv are searching for the suspect, Israeli police spokesperson Luba Samri told CNN.
"From the initial investigation of the incident, it is not possible to determine if this is a criminal or terror attack. Both directions are being investigated," Samri told CNN.
Read more HERE.
20:32 India, Pak exchange list of nuke installations, prisoners
India and Pakistan today exchanged for the 25th consecutive year a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral agreement that bars them from
attacking each other's atomic facilities.
"India and Pakistan today exchanged, through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad, the list of nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations between India and Pakistan," an External Affairs Ministry release said here.
The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides, inter alia, that the two countries inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year.
18:59 Loud explosion rocks downtown Kabul
A piercingly loud explosion rocked central Kabul Friday evening, with an official saying the target was apparently a restaurant popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital.
"The explosion happened in Qala-e-Fathullah neighbourhood of Kabul city. Apparently a restaurant has been attacked," interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told AFP, citing initial information.
18:49 British man held at Amsterdam airport for making bomb threat
A British man was today arrested at an airport in Amsterdam for making bomb threats which led to evacuation of parts of a terminal, causing panic among passengers.
The 29-year-old man, who has not been identified, started shouting at Schipol Airport this morning that he was carrying bombs, Dutch police said.
He was overpowered by police and taken into custody, police said. His luggage was searched by sniffer dogs, but was not found to contain any explosives.
18:07 Govt sets up panel to revamp controversy-ridden Censor Board
The government today constituted a committee headed by eminent filmmaker Shyam Benegal to look into the revamp of the Censor Board, functioning of which has been mired in controversies in recent past.
The panel, which would submit its report in two months, includes filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, adman Piyush Pandey and film critic Bhawana Somaaya.
Apart from these, National Film Development Council MD Nina Lath Gupta and Joint Secretary (Films) Sanjay Murthy would also be part of committee.
A statement released here said the panel has been formed "in sync with the vision" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The recommendations of this Committee are expected to provide a holistic framework and enable those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view this framework, the statement said.
17:26 Saudi says 3 civilians killed in missile fire from Yemen
Three civilians including two children have been killed in cross-border missile attacks from Yemen on a residential area in southwestern Saudi Arabia, civil defence authorities said.
Eleven others were wounded, among them nine children, when several missiles hit residential districts in the Jazan region yesterday, civil defence spokesman Major Yehia al-Qahtani said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition that has been battling Iran-backed rebels in neighbouring Yemen since March.
The rebels intensified their rocket attacks across the Saudi border in recent days, prompting the coalition to threaten severe reprisals.
17:25 Munich terror threat remains in place, stations open again
Munich train stations reopened and trains are running on New Year's Day, but a terror warning about Islamic State extremists intending to blow themselves up in the city remains in place.
Munich police tweeted today that "stations are open, but the situation is still serious."
Just shortly before the city rang in the new year, Munich police had evacuated the main train station and a station in the Pasing neighborhood. Partygoers were asked to avoid crowds.
17:09 Hazare writes to Modi,reminds him of unfulfilled poll promises
Social activist Anna Hazare dashed off another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reminding him of his unfulfilled poll promises and said there is "no visible difference" between his government and the previous Congress-led UPA regime
Wishing Modi for the New Year, the 78-year-old anti-graft crusader in his three-page letter took a swipe at the prime minister, saying he may have forgotten the things which he promised during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign like bringing back black money and building a corruption-free India. The letter was released to the press today.
Reminding Modi of the need to implement the Lokpal and Lokayukta properly and fulfil other key poll promises, Hazare said that several letters written by him earlier on these subjects to the Prime Minister had been ignored.
16:42 Miss Colombia on Miss Universe flap: 'It was very humiliating'
Miss Colombia says it's no coincidence you haven't heard her talk much about her experience winning -- and losing -- the Miss Universe crown.
"I was disconnected. I haven't received phone calls from almost anyone. Very few people have communicated with me," Ariadna Gutierrez told Colombia's W Radio on Wednesday. "That's because I had to grieve for what happened."
But now, Gutierrez is speaking for the first time about what she calls a "great injustice."
Read more HERE.
16:40 Jaitley cannot take shield of party discipline, a combative Azad tells BJP
Unfazed by the prospect of his expulsion from BJP, suspended MP Kirti Azad today again attacked the Finance Minister and told the party that Arun Jaitley cannot take the shield of party discipline as the
Delhi cricket body issue has no link with BJP.
In his point by point rebuttal of the charges in the show cause notice slapped on him by the party yesterday, Azad said he had been pursuing the issue of "corruption" in the Delhi and District Cricket Association for the past nine years "without any let up" and was not even once told by BJP not to pursue it.
16:39 China ends one-child policy, couples allowed 2 kids from today
Couples in China are now allowed to have two children as the new family planning law came into effect from today, ending the world's most populous country's controversial one-child policy amid concerns over an ageing population and shrinking workforce.
The new two-child policy, which was announced by the ruling Communist Party in October and approved by the national legislature in late December, allows couples to have two children from January 1.
"It is worth noting how people's lives will be affected," state-run Xinhua news agency said in its report.
15:24 Pak, ISIS flags unfurled in Srinagar's Jamia Masjid
The commencement of 2016 did little to assuage conditions in J&K where stone pelters positioned a minor in front of the group as they faced off against security forces in Jamia Masjid, Srinagar
Meanwhile, Pak flag and flag with ISIS written on it unfurled against Village Defence Committee in Jamia Masjid, Srinagar
15:00 Ashok Khemka has been promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary
As a New Year gift to whistleblower IAS officer Ashok Khemka, the Khattar government has promoted the bureaucrat to the post of principal secretary from secretary to the government of Haryana.
A departmental promotion committee headed by chief secretary DS Dhesi took a decision on Thursday in this connection, say sources.
Khemka had made headlines in 2012 when acting as director general of Haryana land consolidation department, he had cancelled the mutation of land deal between UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and DLF on the ground that the assistant consolidation officer, who had sanctioned the change of title in the revenue record in favour of DLF, was not competent to do so.
Read more HERE.
14:26 Obama to announce new executive action on guns
President Barack Obama is expected to announce in the coming days a new executive action with the goal of expanding background checks on gun sales, people familiar with White House planning said.
Described as "imminent," the set of executive actions would fulfill a promise by the President to take further unilateral steps the White House says could help curb gun deaths.
Plans for the action are not yet complete, and those familiar with the process warn that unforeseen circumstances could delay an announcement. But gun control advocates are expecting the new actions to be revealed next week, ahead of Obama's annual State of the Union address, set for January 12.
Read more HERE.
14:22 9 militants to hang as Pak army chief confirms death penalty
Nine "hardcore terrorists" are set to be hanged in Pakistan after the army chief today confirmed the death sentences handed down to them by military courts for terror-related offences, including sectarian killings and an attack on ISI headquarters in Multan.
Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif confirmed the death sentences of nine men convicted by military courts, an Inter-Services Public Relations statement said, three days after Pakistan executed four militants involved in suicide bombing, slaughtering of people and attacks on soldiers.
13:12 Delhi top cop appeals to people to follow odd-even rule
As the much-debated odd-even scheme of vehicular restrictions came into effect in the national capital today, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi once again appealed to people to cooperate with his force throughout the
15 days that the initiative will be in force.
"I appeal to people to cooperate with Delhi Traffic Police for 15 days," said Bassi, assuring that adequate personnel have been deployed for implementation of the scheme throughout the city. Today's focus will largely be on educating people about the scheme. However, prosecution for violating the same shall be in place," he added.
The ambitious odd-even scheme of the Delhi government that will restrict movement of private cars on the roads of the national capital for 15 days was rolled-out today.
Under the scheme, private cars having odd registration numbers will be allowed to ply on odd dates and those with even numbers on even dates.
12:40 Adnan Sami is Indian now
The Pakistani singer of 'Kabhi to Nazar Milao' and 'Lift Kara De' fame has finally been granted Indian citizenship on humanitarian grounds.
Following the representation submitted by Adnan to Home Ministry on May 26, 2015 his Indian citizenship will be with effect from January 1, 2016.
Read more HERE.
12:02 Munich train stations evacuated over concerns of possible ISIS terror plans
Two train stations in Munich, Germany, were evacuated and train service stopped on New Year's Eve, a spokesman for the Munich police said, citing concerns of a possible terror plot.
The planned suicide attacks were reported to be connected to ISIS, officials said.
Police have received "concrete information that strongly indicates that there are possible plans for terror attacks in Munich, specifically against the main train station and the railway station in (the western district of) Pasing."
Munich police said officials had deemed the information about the threat of an attack on New Year's Eve as serious and credible.
Authorities told the public additional officers were being called in to find possible suspects.
Another country's intelligence agency reported the plot and the ISIS connection to German federal police, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told journalists.
Read more HERE.
03:54 Fresh tension in Iran-US relations after new sanctions threat
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has denounced possible new sanctions by the United States on his country which, if enacted, could jeopardise a hard-won nuclear deal due to be finally implemented.
In a letter to his defence minister, Rouhani said reports that the US Treasury planned to blacklist companies and individuals with ties to Iran's ballistic missile programme constituted 'hostile and illegal interventions' that justified a response.
His comments came as relations worsened after US defence officials said an Iranian vessel had test-fired several rockets near three Western warships, including the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier, in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. AFP
In a letter to his defence minister, Rouhani said reports that the US Treasury planned to blacklist companies and individuals with ties to Iran's ballistic missile programme constituted 'hostile and illegal interventions' that justified a response.
His comments came as relations worsened after US defence officials said an Iranian vessel had test-fired several rockets near three Western warships, including the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier, in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. AFP
02:44 Users left guessing as Facebook 'celebrates 46 years of friendship'
A technical glitch in Facebook systems surprised users as the social network sent automated messages inviting them to celebrate '46 years of friendship on Facebook' with one or more of their online friends.
That was really odd as many of the Facebook users are in their 20s and 30s and the social networking site itself started in 2004.
Facebook blamed a software bug for the glitch, while computer experts speculate that the problem must have caused by a quirk in Unix, an operating system used in big data centers where companies like Facebook store information.
The glitch starts the internal calendar on some computers at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time, January 1, 1970.
Facebook said its engineers are fixing the problem 'so everyone can ring in 2016 feeling young again.'
That was really odd as many of the Facebook users are in their 20s and 30s and the social networking site itself started in 2004.
Facebook blamed a software bug for the glitch, while computer experts speculate that the problem must have caused by a quirk in Unix, an operating system used in big data centers where companies like Facebook store information.
The glitch starts the internal calendar on some computers at midnight, Greenwich Mean Time, January 1, 1970.
Facebook said its engineers are fixing the problem 'so everyone can ring in 2016 feeling young again.'
01:47 Seer who burnt Dawood's car gets 'death threats'
Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, who had set afire a car that apparently belonged to Dawood Ibrahim in Ghaziabad, claimed today that he has received death threats from the underworld don.
Chakrapani, who claims allegiance to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, said he got a telephone call and some SMSes from two unidentified numbers. The callers warned that 'I will be set ablaze the way I had burnt the car', he said.
He had won the car at an open auction for Rs 32,000 on December 9 in Mumbai.
Chakrapani said he met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard who offered him 'Z' grade security. He said he refused the security cover he is 'not a political leader'.
Chakrapani, who claims allegiance to the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, said he got a telephone call and some SMSes from two unidentified numbers. The callers warned that 'I will be set ablaze the way I had burnt the car', he said.
He had won the car at an open auction for Rs 32,000 on December 9 in Mumbai.
Chakrapani said he met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard who offered him 'Z' grade security. He said he refused the security cover he is 'not a political leader'.
01:01
JUST IN: One person died of a heart attack and 14 minor injuries were reported due to a stampede after a major fire broke out at The Address Downtown hotel in Dubai. ANI
00:46
JUST IN: Dubai's civil defence says fire at The Address Hotel building is under control and famous fireworks ushering in the New Year will proceed.
All residents have been evacuated safely.
The fire was reported to have originated from outside 20th floor and has not spread inside. ANI
All residents have been evacuated safely.
The fire was reported to have originated from outside 20th floor and has not spread inside. ANI
00:31 Remo Fernandes seeks anticipatory bail
Pop singer Remo Fernandes, accused of verbally abusing a minor girl who got injured by a vehicle driven by his son, has sought anticipatory bail from the Goa Children's Court.
The 62-year-old singer, in the bail plea filed today, has claimed innocence and said he is being falsely implicated in the case.
He has also alleged the girl had demanded Rs three lakh from him as against Rs 50,000 offered by him as compensation.
The bail application filed by his lawyer Rajiv Gomes states that the singer is a native of Goa but has acquired Portuguese nationality and possesses a passport of that country.
'Though the applicant is a Portuguese national, he being a native of Goa has several properties in Goa and also has family members and roots in Goa,' it says.
The plea further states that he also has business interests in Goa and India and therefore there can be no apprehension of the applicant absconding and not attending the trial.
Remo is currently in Europe and is expected to return on January 8. The Goa police has already issued a lookout notice for him.
The 62-year-old singer, in the bail plea filed today, has claimed innocence and said he is being falsely implicated in the case.
He has also alleged the girl had demanded Rs three lakh from him as against Rs 50,000 offered by him as compensation.
The bail application filed by his lawyer Rajiv Gomes states that the singer is a native of Goa but has acquired Portuguese nationality and possesses a passport of that country.
'Though the applicant is a Portuguese national, he being a native of Goa has several properties in Goa and also has family members and roots in Goa,' it says.
The plea further states that he also has business interests in Goa and India and therefore there can be no apprehension of the applicant absconding and not attending the trial.
Remo is currently in Europe and is expected to return on January 8. The Goa police has already issued a lookout notice for him.
00:06 Fire engulfs hotel near Burj Khalifa shortly before New Year fireworks
The Dubai government's media office said on its Twitter feed that civil defence teams were working to evacuate a hotel near the Burj Khalifa which was engulfed by a massive fire shortly before a large New Year fireworks display was set to start.
The fire spread up to 20 storeys of The Address Hotel in downtown Dubai.
Witnesses said large tongues of flames shooting skywards enveloped the luxury hotel, which lies across a plaza from the Burj Khalifa, where hundreds of people were gathering to view a spectacular fireworks display due to start shortly to mark the New Year.
No casualties have been reported so far.
Dubai authorities said earlier that they had deployed thousands of security personnel to ensure visitors and residents could enjoy the New Year's festivities safely.
The fire spread up to 20 storeys of The Address Hotel in downtown Dubai.
Witnesses said large tongues of flames shooting skywards enveloped the luxury hotel, which lies across a plaza from the Burj Khalifa, where hundreds of people were gathering to view a spectacular fireworks display due to start shortly to mark the New Year.
No casualties have been reported so far.
Dubai authorities said earlier that they had deployed thousands of security personnel to ensure visitors and residents could enjoy the New Year's festivities safely.
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