LIVE! Bomb threat received for Jeddah-bound AI flight

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Thu, 24 March 2016

Bomb threat received for Jeddah-bound AI flight

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20:55 Bomb threat received for Jeddah-bound AI flight

The Air India on Thursday received a bomb threat for its Jeddah-bound flight.The threat for the flight was received at Air India-Bengaluru office, after which Bomb Threat Assessment Committee was convened. The committee, later, declared the threat as "non specific".

The committee also recommended for intensifying security measures for flights on this route, including 100 percent hand baggage checks and secondary ladder checks, and thorough security check of baggage and cargo.

On Tuesday, bomb threats were received for five flights of Jet Airways, following which two flights were evacuated and searched.Last Thursday, two flights were grounded at the Indira Gandhi International airport due to a bomb scare.

The Jet Airways is set to fly three recovery flights today from Amsterdam for Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto to transfer all its guests and crew, who were stranded in Europe after deadly twin explosions struck Brussels airport on Tuesday.

Jet Airways has already relocated its guests and crew from Brussels to Amsterdam by road yesterday as the Brussels airport continues to be closed for operations.

The check-in process for the Amsterdam to Mumbai flight is currently underway.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier tweeted that the two crew members of Jet Airways injured at the Brussels airport were recovering well.

18:21 Only Muslim lawyers in Malaysian Sharia courts

In a landmark decision, a Malaysian court today ruled that only Muslims can practise as lawyers in Sharia courts in the multi-ethnic Muslim-majority country.

The apex court decided on two questions of law in an appeal by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council and Attorney-General's Chamber against the Court of Appeal's decision to allow non-Muslim lawyers to practise Islamic Sharia law.

Court of Appeal held that the rules for Sharia lawyers mandating that only Muslims can be admitted as Sharia lawyers did not contravene the Federal Constitution governing equality, liberty and right to form associations. On March 17, 2011, Victoria Jayaseele Martin, who has a Masters degree in Comparative Law from the International Islamic University, lost her bid in the High Court to challenge the assertion that a Sharia lawyer in Kuala Lumpur must be a Muslim.

Maintaining high alert against terrorism, Malaysian police have arrested 162 individuals suspected of having links with the Islamic State militant group, the Home Ministry said today.

"The government is also in a midst of implementing the Advanced Passenger Screening System to screen tourists entering the country before they depart from their own country," the ministry said in a written reply to parliament.

"The Royal Malaysian Police managed to arrest 162 individuals in Malaysia suspected of involvement with Daesh (the Islamic State), the Ministry said. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said Malaysia was on high alert against terrorism.

Asking the people not to panic, he said Malaysia had good surveillance systems in place, not just at airports but also at ports and its railway stations.

Mehbooba Mufti is set to become the first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Her party, the PDP, formally elected her its chief ministerial candidate at a meeting today.

The decision comes after a crucial meeting in Srinagar of the party's legislators this evening.The party has also unanimously nominated her as the leader in the state legislature, a constitutional requirement before she stakes claim to power.

Media baron Peter Mukerjea, arrested in the Sheena Bora murder case, has filed a second bail plea, contending that the charge sheet doesn't have "reasonable grounds" to hold him guilty.

The special CBI court here had rejected his first bail application in February. Peter's lawyer Kushal Mor filed the second bail application in the special court yesterday.

There was no further justification for keeping him in custody as there were no "reasonable grounds" in the charge sheet to believe that "he has been guilty of offences with which he is charged", it said.

As per the charge sheet, Peter's motive for committing the crime (participating in the conspiracy to murder Sheena) was that he was against the relationship between Sheena and his son Rahul Mukerjea.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth must apologise for executing legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 1931 and pay blood money to his heirs, human rights activists in Pakistan said today as they marked his 85th death anniversary.

Events to mark Bhagat Singh's death anniversary was held yesterday in two different places in Pakistan's Punjab province.

The first ceremony was held at the birth place of Bhagat Singh -- Chak 105-GB, Banga Chak, Jaranwala, Faisalabad district -- some 100 kilometres from here. People from different walks of life attended the ceremony and paid rich tributes to him for his struggle for freedom.

The second function was held at Shadman Chowk here where Bhagat was hanged along with his companions Raj Guru and Sukhdev on March 23, 1931 after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the regime.

In yet another blow for cab service provider Uber, a case has been registered against one of its drivers for misbehaving with a female passenger.

A first information report under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code was lodged in Bengaluru's Madiwala Police Station against Suresh, 21, who has been accused of misbehaving with the female passenger."On Wednesday we found a complaint on twitter regarding an Uber cab driver misbehaving with a lady while she was travelling in the car.

A formal complaint has been registered in Madiwala police station after which we have registered a FIR under Section 509 of IPC. We have also detained the cab driver, we are interrogating the accused and further action will be taken after interrogation ends," said MB Borlingaiya (deputy commissioner of police).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe on his 67th birthday.

"Wishing my friend, a leader with great knowledge & wisdom, SL PM @RW_UNP on his birthday. May he be blessed with a long & healthy life," PM Modi said in a tweet. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time on August 21 last year.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Thursday that the last phone call by Raghavendran Ganesh, the Infosys employee from Bengaluru, who has been missing in Brussels since the deadly terror attacks, has been tracked.

"Raghavendran Ganesh --We have tracked his last call in Brussels. He was travelling in the metro rail," Swaraj said in a tweet.She also lauded the prompt reaction and work being done by the Indian embassy in Brussels."It was a very difficult situation after terror attacks in Brussels. I admire the outstanding work done by Indian embassy under the able leadership of Ambassador Manjeev Puri," she tweeted.

Pakistan today said that 132 of its traders were detained at the Moscow airport by Russian authorities and efforts were underway to repatriate the remaining 84 nationals.

Foreign office spokesman Nafess Zakaria said that these Pakistanis were part of a group of traders, who were traveling to Russia for an exhibition yesterday when they were detained at the Moscow airport. Russia already sent back 48 Pakistanis yesterday while the remaining 84 will be soon brought back, said Zakaria. "The Foreign office is in touch with Russian embassy in Islamabad on the matter," he said. It was not known why they were held and being deported back, he said.

The Express News TV reported Pakistan's ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah saying that the Pakistan embassy in Moscow is negotiating with the Russian authorities for their release.

"A Pakistan embassy official is at the airport to negotiate with the Russian authorities for the release of these men," he said. The incident comes after the Brussels attacks on Tuesday which killed more than 30 people and created worldwide panic.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said he feels proud that Bal Thakeray was on the hit list of terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

Reacting over the information divulged by David Headley, Raut it is a moment of proud for him and his party inmates that Bal Thakeray was on LeT hit list.

"A killer was hired by the LeT to kill Shiv Sena chief but the mission failed. In this case, the Mumbai police also arrested a suspect but he ran away from police custody. I would like to ask that why the police hid this fact. Who was that person who ran away from the prison and how did he escape? What was the conspiracy behind this? The Mumbai police and the then government have to answer these questions. The then police commissioner should be questioned," Raut told ANI.

A liberal splash of colours today welcomed Google users on its homepage as the search giant marked the Holi festival with a special doodle which reflects the vibrancy of the occasion.

The doodle shows the six letters in the company's logo changing colours gradually from all beige to a mix of red, blue, green and orange in various shades. As soon as one visits the homepage, the all beige logo begins to change appearance as a train of colour splashes across it from left to right.

The splash of 'gulaal', the dry colour on the logo is a tribute to traditional way of celebrating Holi in the country. On this festival, people daub each other with 'gulaal' or wet colours, while in some areas even flowers are used for celebrations.

From dull beige to a colourful marquee, the transition of the logo, somewhat captures the spirit of India, which on this day switches into a riot of colours, with streets and parks all soaked in it.

BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav and Union Minister of State in PMO, Jitendra Singh will meet party legislators to review the current political situation in the state and elicit their opinion ahead of meeting Jammu and Kashmir Governor tomorrow.

BJP high command has deputed Ram Madhav to reach Jammu along with Jitendra Singh to assess the current political situation and elicit the opinion of party legislators (over the government formation), BJP sources said today.

The crucial meeting will be held tomorrow in which all the BJP legislators and its top leadership will take part, the sources said. Governor N N Vohra has written to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and BJP State president Sat Sharma to meet him on Friday (to clarify their stand on government formation).

BJP delegation will be meeting Governor on Friday and will inform him about the party stand on the prevailing political situation in the state. Last time BJP and PDP delegations had met the Governor separately on February 2 when the Governor had sought their stand on government formation. BJP delegation again met Governor on March 2 while Mehbooba Mufti met Governor on March 4 over the political situation in the state. Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor's rule on January 8 after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's death on January 7. On March 22 Mehbooba had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi. After the 15-minute meeting at the Prime Minister's residence, 56-year-old Mehbooba told reporters it was "very positive" and "good" in addressing issues pertaining to the people of the state and that she was "very satisfied".

26/11 Mumbai terror attack operative David Coleman Headley, who had been vehemently denying that he had not been paid by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, finally made a sensational revelation before a court today that the ISI had massively funded his entire operation.

Speaking to the media after Headley's cross-examination, Special Prosecutor in the case Ujjwal Nikam said that the Pakistani-American terrorist had made four major revelations in today's session."

He said that the Pakistan ISI had given him huge finances for completion of the 26/11 operation. Secondly, he said that the LeT attempted to kill Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray and one person was apprehended by the police but he escaped.

Of course Headley made it clear that he had no firsthand knowledge about this information but that he heard it from the LeT people. Thirdly, he said that following the growing international pressure on the LeT following the 26/11 attack, they made a soft stand in the Denmark attack," Nikam said.

13:43 Shoe hurled at Kanhaiya in Hyderabad

A shoe was hurled at JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar while he was addressing aa press conference in Hyderabad toaday, according to local media.

The incident occurred when Kanhaiya had just started his speech on 'constitutional rights' at the Sundarayya Vignana Kendram.

Though he missed his target, Kanhaiya's supporters took on the attacker and roughed him up even as the former tried to dissuade the men from assaulting his attacker.

Watch this video HERE

On the occasion of Holi, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will begin its services at 2 pm today and the metro services can be availed by the public at 2:30 pm.Only 866 buses will be operated in the afternoon service, since the traffic load will be very less today.

DTC has issued instructions to its drivers, conductors and traffic supervisory staff to avoid incidents of eve-teasing in the buses during Holi festival today.

In case of any such incident, drivers and conductors have been instructed to take the bus to the nearest Police Station or PCR van.The services of Delhi Metro, including services on the Airport Express Line, will begin from 2.30 pm today on account of Holi.

A case of rioting has been registered against over 200 unidentified people in connection with a clash between workers of NCP and a group of BJYM and ABVP activists on Fergusson College campus here in which NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad was allegedly manhandled, police said today.

Deccan-Gymkhana police, where the case was registered under relevant sections of rioting of IPC late last night, said the work of identifying the people from various organisations is underway and CCTV footage as well as videograbs of the incident are being scrutinised.

Yesterday, Awhad was allegedly heckled as he reached the campus to interact with students and the principal after he dashed off a letter to Pune Police seeking action against those who purportedly raised anti-national slogans during ABVP's informal event to discuss the topic "Truth of JNU" in presence of JNU ABVP leader Alok Singh. Principal R G Pardeshi, however, later retracted on his statement calling it a "typographical error" after several Dalit organisations here accused him of branding students including Sujat Ambedkar, greatgrandson of B R Ambedkar and son of former MP Prakash Ambedkar, as "anti-nationals".

After Awhad concluded his speech at a corner of the campus, he was allegedly heckled by members of BJP's youth wing, and some affiliated right-wing organisations and stones were pelted at his car which led to the deployment of an anti-riot squad and saw the police stepping in to control the situation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tennis star Sania Mirza and actor Priyanka Chopra are among the probable contenders named by Time magazine for its annual list of the most influential people in the world.

Time will announce its 'TIME 100', the annual list of the world's 100 most influential people next month. While its editors will determine the ultimate honorees, the publication has asked readers to vote from among 127 "world leaders, great minds in science and technology, outstanding figures in the arts and other icons of the moment" on who they think deserve recognition.

Time said "Modi remains a powerful voice on the world stage," and while he saw his domestic agenda "sidetracked by political squabbles" in 2015, his country still leads the world in economic growth. Modi was named among Time's 100 most influential people in the world last year and President Barack Obama had written a profile for him for the magazine.

On Mirza, Time said India's best female tennis player secured the number one ranking in the world for women's doubles "while helping to redefine the role of female athletes in her home country."

Criticising the Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for their anti-Muslim rhetoric, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has said demonising Muslims could alienate partners and undermine moderates needed to fight against ISIS.

"We need every American community invested in this fight, not fearful and sitting on the sidelines. So when Republican candidates like Ted Cruz call for treating American Muslims like criminals, and for racially profiling predominantly- Muslim neighbourhoods, it's wrong, it's counter-productive, it's dangerous," Clinton said in remarks at the prestigious Stanford University.

"As a spokesman for the New York Police Department pointed out last night, that kind of blanket bigotry would treat the city's nearly 1,000 Muslim police officers as threats," Clinton said. "It's hard to imagine a more incendiary, foolish statement," the former secretary of state quoted the spokesman as saying.

A car which was stolen from a civilian at gunpoint by three armed men in Sujanpur District of Pathankot near the Jammu and Kashmir Border two days ago has been found abandoned.The car is a Ford Fiesta Model with number PB 06 S 8982.

Earlier, following the incident the police began the investigations promptly in order to establish any connection to terrorist-based activities."I was sitting in my car when three men came, asked me to drop them to petrol pump.

As soon as I rolled down the car window, they put me at gunpoint and stole my car," said Gaurav Pathania, whose car was stolen.The identity of the three men has yet not been ascertained.

04:03 IS has trained 400 fighters to attack Europe

The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum carnage, according to an Associated Press report.

The network of agile and semi-autonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq.

The officials, including European and Iraqi intelligence officials and a French lawmaker who follows the jihadi networks, described camps in Syria, Iraq and possibly the former Soviet bloc where attackers are trained to attack the West.

Before being killed in a police raid, the ringleader of the Nov 13 Paris attacks claimed to have entered Europe in a multinational group of 90 fighters, who scattered 'more or less everywhere.'

Turkey said on Wednesday that it had detained and deported Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the two suicide bombers at Brussels airport, and accused the Belgian authorities of failing to confirm his links to terror.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish authorities detained the attacker in June last year in Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and then deported the 'foreign terrorist fighter' to the Netherlands at his request.

"One of the Brussels attackers was detained in Gaziantep and then deported," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.

Erdogan said the Belgian authorities had failed to confirm the suspect's links to terrorism 'despite our warnings' following his deportation.

"Despite our warnings that this person was a foreign terrorist fighter, the Belgian authorities could not identify a link to terrorism," he said.

Erdogan said the man had initially been deported to the Netherlands at his own request and that Dutch authorities had been informed.

As many as 193 elephants have died in Odisha in the last three years due to poaching, poisoning, deliberate electrocution and other causes, the state government said.

Replying to a question in the Assembly yesterday, forest and environment minister Bikram Arukha said of the 193 jumbos, 17 died due to poaching, two from poisoning and 14 were killed by deliberate electrocution.

While eight elephants died due to infighting and falling from hill top, two jumbos died in train accidents and two more in road mishaps, Arukha said, adding the state government has taken several steps to ensure food security in their habitats.

"The government has planted trees which elephants prefer to eat and dug ponds to make water available to the animals inside the forests," the minister said. Anti-poaching squads have been deployed at different places in forest areas, he said

01:59 Brussels airport to be shut till Saturday

Brussels airport will remain closed until at least Saturday, a spokeswoman said, following deadly bombings claimed by the Islamic State group.

"The airport is closed to passengers until Friday included," spokeswoman Anke Fransen was quoted as saying by AFP on Wednesday, a day after the attacks by two suicide bombers that wrecked the departure hall.

"We cannot say for certain if the flights will be reopened to passengers on Saturday," she said, adding however that cargo and private flights could resume 'as of now'.

Police in Argentina has arrested a man who allegedly walked into a radio station carrying a belt with fireworks and threatening to use them as explosives.

The security ministry says police arrested journalist Carlos Alberto Serbali in the office of state-run Radio Nacional in downtown Buenos Aires after he threatened to detonate a bomb inside the radio station on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama is on a two-day visit to Argentina and security measures have been heightened after the terrorist attack in Belgium.AP

The People's Democratic Party will hold a crucial meeting of its legislature party in Srinagar on Thursday to discuss government formation with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu and Kashmir.

"A legislature party meeting will be held at 4 pm tomorrow," a PDP leader said on Wednesday.

This comes in the backdrop of party chief Mehbooba Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders in Delhi on Tuesday.

The PDP leader said a final decision on the formation of the government in the state is expected after Mehbooba takes the opinion of the legislators.

A countrywide ban on cow slaughter is necessary to prevent sectarian clashes and foster communal harmony, yoga guru Ramdev said today while also suggesting that the law should be amended to make everyone chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

In the wake of the row kicked up by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi with the remark that he would not say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', Ramdev said the Centre should bring an amendment to promote the chanting of the slogan.

"Even though it is not written in the Constitution that one should say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', there should be no problem in chanting it... Therefore, an amendment should be made in the law so that everyone says it," he said.

He also said demanded a total ban on cow-slaughter.

"It is my humble appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enforce a total ban on cow slaughter across the country. I am hopeful to get a positive response from the PM," he said.

He claimed there was no cow slaughter in India till the 18th century and 'even Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had imposed a total ban on this activity'.

"Uttar Pradesh, which is a highly-sensitive state, has imposed a ban on cow slaughter too," he said.

Ramdev also slammed Congress MP and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor for comparing JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, who is facing sedition charges, with freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

"This is an insult to the martyrs who laid down their lives fighting for the freedom of our country," he said.

00:06 Top headlines at this hour

India scrape past Bangladesh in last-over thriller

Infosys employee from Bengaluru missing in Brussels

Kanhaiya not allowed to enter HCU; dubs it attack on democracy

After Brussels blasts, IndiGo receives bomb threats for 11 flights

Will retire from the chairmanship of Sanofi India: Mallya

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