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Fri, 25 March 2016
Syrian army recaptures Palmyra citadel from Islamic State
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21:52 Syrian army recaptures Palmyra citadel from Islamic State
The Islamic State group suffered a double setback in Syria as army troops recaptured the ancient citadel in Palmyra and the Pentagon said the jihadists' second-in-command was killed in a US raid. The fresh gains in Palmyra by Syrian troops backed by allied militia and Russian warplanes came nearly a year after IS overran the UNESCO world heritage site, sparking global concern.
"Our armed forces, in coordination with the popular defence forces, have taken control of the ancient Palmyra citadel after inflicting many losses in the ranks of the terrorist group Daesh," Syrian state television said, using
another name for IS.
The army has also cut off the main Palmyra-Deir Ezzor highway leading to the Iraqi border, the report said citing a military source.
The jihadist group had taken over the citadel on May 23 last year and raised its notorious black and white flag over it.
21:03
JUST IN: Loud explosion, sirens heard in Afghan capital Kabuls diplomatic quarter
20:46
JUST IN: Belgian prosecutors confirm second airport bomber as Najim Laachraoui. Laachraoui's DNA was also found at Paris Bataclan.
20:43 Sreesanth to enter politics
Cricketer Sreesanth to join BJP, will fight Kerala elections from either Thiruvananthapuram or Thrippunithura, say sources
20:23 India losing over Rs 1 lakh crore due to tobacco related illness: WHO
World Health Organisation representative to India Henk Bekedam, in a statement, said that the economy has been losing around Rs 1,04, 500 crore every year because of the tobacco-related diseases, which claim around 10 lakh lives annually.
The WHO has expressed its concern over the debate around reduction in size of health hazard warnings on Bidi and smokeless tobacco products.
Advocating larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products, Bekedam called for intensifying the drive to make people aware of the ill-effects of tobacco.
20:01 Islamic State's second-in-command killed in raid in Syria
The Islamic State group's second in command has been killed in a US raid in Syria, news reports said today. Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli was killed this month, The Daily Beast and NBC News quoted unnamed defence officials as saying. Pentagon chief Ashton Carter was expected to confirm the killing at an upcoming news conference, they said.
19:30 EC clears PM's Mann ki Baat on Sunday
The Election Commission has given its nod to the Prime Minister's 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast on Sunday with instructions that the programme should adhere to the Model Code of Conduct in force due to assembly polls in five states.
The information and broadcasting ministry had approached the Commission to clear the broadcast of the monthly radio address due to Model Code.
Sources said the commission gave its green signal to the address on Wednesday with instructions that the Model Code should not be violated.
19:08 Marathwada water scene grim; only 5% stock left in dams
Every drop of water has become precious in drought-hit Marathwada region, where the situation is so grim that the dams in the region are left with just five per cent of water ahead of the summer season.
"There is only five per cent water left in Marathwada dams," Divisional Commissioner Umakant Dangat said. "We are trying our best to ensure that the meagre water storage lasts till rains arrive," the IAS official said.
Over 2,300 water tankers are in operation in the region, mostly in the worst-affected Beed, Latur and Osmanabad districts, the senior bureaucrat said.
18:53 Brussels attacks: 'Explosion and gunfire heard' during police operations
Explosions and gunfire have reportedly been heard during police operations in Brussels.Witnesses described what sounded like two blasts at the start of the raid in Schaerbeek on Saturday, where a suspect has reportedly been "neutralised".
The area was closed of and a nearby tram was evacuated as armed police and military vehicles were seen in the area, according to RBTF News.A sighting of a bomb disposal squad and specialist robot sparked speculation that there had been a controlled explosion.
18:30 The moment Burma heroine lost her cool during TV interview
She is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a beacon of saintly integrity in the West who remained under house arrest for 15 years in her native Burma. However, there is another side to Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi that sits at odds with her iconic image.
After the BBC Today presenter Mishal Husain gave Suu Kyi a rough ride during a BBC interview, Suu Kyi lost her composure and was heard to mutter angrily off-air: "No one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim."
Read more HERE
18:27
JUST IN: Explosion heard during police operation in Brussels borough of Schaerbeek, says Belga news agency.
17:52 Army jawan who was rescued from Siachen avalanche dies
Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang, who was rescued from an avalanche in Turtuk earlier today, succumbs to his injuries. Tamang along with another had been hit when an avalanche hit the patrol party in Siachen. While Tamang was dug out by rescue teams, the other soldier is still missing. Massive efforts currently on to rescue the other jawan inspite of inclement weather.
17:43 Pakistan says it captures Indian spy; India says 'it has no interest to interfere in Pakistan's affairs'
"The person arrested has no link with the government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy", said the ministry of external affairs after Pakistan summoned the Indian ambassador on Friday to protest against the illegal entry of an Indian spy who Pakistan said was captured in the violence-plagued province of Baluchistan the previous day.
The MEA also added, "India has no interest in interfering in internal matters of any country and firmly believes a stable and peaceful Pakistan is in the interest of the region."
Pakistan believes India is supporting a separatist insurgency in resource-rich Baluchistan. It also accuses India of fuelling strife in the city of Karachi.India denies any such meddling.
India has long accused Pakistan of backing militants fighting Indian security forces in its part of the divided Kashmir region, of helping militants launch attacks elsewhere in India and backing the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Pakistan say it only offers diplomatic support to the Muslim people of Kashmir living under what Pakistan says is heavy-handed Indian rule. It denies backing militant attacks in India.
17:32 Iran president arrives on a two-day visit to Pakistan
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Islamabad today on a landmark visit for talks with Pakistani leadership on improving relations and clinching key economic deals including the construction of a gas pipeline.
Rouhani, who is on his maiden visit, will meet President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tomorrow and will discuss cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The two-day visit has assumed significance after lifting of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. The withdrawal of sanctions has opened new avenues for enhancing bilateral economic interaction.
17:14 2 Americans, 1 Chinese, 1 Briton identified as victims of Brussels attacks
At least two American citizens were among those people killed in the attack on Brussels, it has been confirmed. The Chinese embassy in Belgium also confirmed that one of their citizens had been killed in the attacks. Additionally, a UK citizen, identified as David Dixon, has also been identified.
Forensic experts dealing with the victims of the Brussels attacks warn it could take weeks to identify them. In a large military hospital complex north of Brussels, the experts are at work to establish the identities of corpses that have in many cases been left missing body parts by the blasts.
16:31 Belgium questioned Abdeslam for only one hour before attacks
Belgian law enforcement officials questioned terror suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was involved in the Paris attacks, for about one hour between the time of his arrest on Friday and the Brussels attacks Tuesday, according to Abdeslam's attorney and two sources familiar with the investigation.
Despite the discovery of detonators, weapons, and Abdeslam's fingerprints in a safe house days earlier and growing evidence that the Brussels terror network was stronger than previously understood, law enforcement officials only briefly questioned Abdeslam because he was still recovering from surgery after being shot in the leg during his apprehension, according to a senior Belgian security official.
The capture of Abdeslam, who had eluded authorities for four months, began as a proud moment for Belgian and French authorities. In retrospect, it looks like a missed opportunity. Law enforcement officials did not interrogate Europes most wanted terror suspect at any length about possible future attacks. Belgiums threat analysis center didnt raise the public alert level after his arrest.
16:13 In the Capital of Europe
Brussels has frequently had a bad press. Already in the 1860s, Baudelaire, who fled there from the French censors, called the Belgian capital "a ghost town, a mummy of a town, it smells of death, the Middle Ages, and tombs.' To a growing number of Europeans, "Brussels' is a byword for bureaucratic bullying by the so-called Eurocrats.
Read more HERE
16:11 OOPS! Culture minister wishes 'Happy Good Friday'
Here's a gaffe that Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma won't forget for a while. On the occasion of Good Friday, the good minister wished his Twitter followers, 'A Happy Good Friday'.
Today millions of Christians worldwide observe the somber holy day of Good Friday, which commemorates the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.
15:53 Jayalalithaa urges Modi to take steps to restore rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen
Criticising the Centre for not acting "effectively" on the issue of apprehending of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka authorities, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today said a decisive shift in dealing with the issue was "long awaited" and "need of the hour".
"I am concerned that the government of India, despite my repeated requests and follow up, has not acted effectively to prevail upon the Sri Lankan authorities to desist from apprehending and detaining Indian fishermen while pursuing their peaceful avocation in traditional fishing waters", she said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Stating that three fishermen and their mechanised fishing boat were apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy on March 23, she said "a decisive shift in the manner of dealing with this sensitive issue is long awaited and is the need of the hour".
"The government of Tamil Nadu strongly reiterates the need to restore the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in Palk Bay by annulling the Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976 as the constitutional validity of these agreements have been challenged on extremely valid and legal grounds in the Supreme Court", she said.
15:26 Sunny Leone did not slap a journalist in Surat, says her husband
Thursday, celebrated as Holi across India, did not go swimmingly for Mastizaade actress Sunny Leone '" or so a newspaper report would have you believe. According to the report, the actress reportedly slapped an impertinent journalist for asking her a lewd question.
Her husband Daniel Weber rubbished the entire thing saying, "That story is complete and utter nonsense." He added that the newspaper was contacted and they would be apologising for publishing a false report.
15:03 Pakistan JIT to visit Pathankot on March 28
The five-member Pakistani Joint Investigation Team has been granted visa to come to India to carry forward the probe into the Pathankot terror attack. They will visit Pathankot on March 28 after reaching the country on March 27, said sources, adding that the JIT won't be allowed to access the technical area.
Sources also said that the JIT won't be allowed to meet Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh or his cook Madangopal, who are being questioned on their role in the attack.
14:35 Army jawan goes missing after avalanche in Siachen
An Indian Army jawan has gone missing after an avalanche hit an army patrol in Turtuk, in West Siachen. Earlier, an avalanche warning was signalled for higher areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking people not to venture in these areas over the next 48 hours.
Earlier in the month, the Indian Army lost 10 soldiers, Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, who was dug out from under the snow after 6 days.
The Siachen glacier is the world's highest battlefield, with Indian soldiers battling not just gruelling environmental conditions, but also combating long periods of isolation.
14:28 A window into Pakistan Women's bonhomie
The Pakistani women's cricket team is full of free-spirited individuals who revel in each other's company, and they are out to have fun and make the most of exposure on the big stage.
The camaraderie within the squad is one of a happy family. In another corner, Sana Mir, the captain, is busy preparing for her second batting stint. A member of their support staff jokes: "Chai, wai rakho. Ab, aapko bowling karna padega (leave the tea aside, you'll have to go and bowl)." There's laughter again.
Unlike the men, there is no weight of history, no chaos, no talks of having to beat India at any cost. Pakistan Women have beaten India Women twice at ICC events.
Read more HERE
14:21 Delhi shocker: 40-year-old dentist beaten to death over dispute
A little after midnight on Thursday, a group of young men arrived at 40-year-old dentist Pankaj Narang's house in west Delhi's Vikaspuri, dragged him out on the road and beat him with hockey sticks, bats and rods till he died.Narang fell to the ground and hit his head against the road, but the men did not stop, hitting him repeatedly on the head.
The police said today that it has arrested five people and apprehended four minors for Narang's murder. Among those arrested is the mother of Naseer, a 23-year-old man with whom Narang had an altercation less than an hour before he died.
The police said at a little after midnight, Narang was playing cricket in his home with his son and nephew, celebrating India's one-run victory over Bangladesh in the World Twenty20 tournament.The ball bounced out on to the road and the dentist's eight-year-old son ran out to retrieve it. Just then, the police said, Naseer and one of the minors arrested were speeding past on a motorbike, which grazed the child.
Dr Narang flagged them down and a heated argument followed. Naseer then drove off, the police said, only to return about 10 minutes later with 10 people and they attacked Dr Narang. Witnesses said people who had gathered attempted to intervene, but they were thrashed too. Dr Narang died on the way to hospital.
14:03 Brussels attack: Injured crew member not in coma, says Jet Airways
So, here's a twist. Following reports that Nidhi Chaphekar, the Jet Airways staffer from Mumbai had been placed in a "medically-induced coma" after she was injured in the Brussels attack, the Airlines on Friday refuted the statement saying that she is stable and is under sedation.
"We have spoken to Dr Steve at the hospital where jet airways crew Nidhi Chapekar is under treatment. The doctor has confirmed that Nidhi is in a stable condition and not in coma. She is resting and under sedation for her comfort," Jet Airways said in a statement.
13:51 Google Maps search for anti-national leads to JNU
In a completely bizarre yet shocking development, search giant Google has landed in a boiling soup after its 'Google Map' application has been showing the Jawaharlal Nehru University under the key word 'anti-national'.
Even though the blunder seems to be completely innocuous, the varsity is bound to be furious by this gaffe by the world's largest search engine. The JNU has been embroiled with tags like 'anti-national' and 'sedition' following reports of such activities on its campus.
13:43 J-K deadlock: BJP unanimously decides to form govt with PDP
BJP legislators have unanimously decided to form govt with PDP. Will extend support to PDP's CM candidate, said J-K President Sat Sharma today. He added that the BJP and PDP will form the government based on Agenda of Alliance and that there would be no change in it.
BJP legislators met here on Friday to discuss government formation in Jammu and Kashmir. Jitendra Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Ministers Office, and Ram Madhav, general secretary in the Bharatiya Janata Party in charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs, also attended the meeting.
13:29 Congress won't have any problem if Kanhaiya decides to join party: Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said that his party won't have any problem ifJawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar decides to join the grand old party. The Congress leader made the remarks while giving interview to CNN-IBN.
"If he (Kanhaiya) were to come to our party, I see no reason why he wouldn't be welcomed, but he has got another political affiliation,' Tharoor said.
When asked about the nationalism debate going on across the country, the Congress MP said, Who has made nationalism into an issue in politics today. It has been a very clear political strategy of our friends in the Bharatiya Janata Party. They have decided that they are going to appropriate nationalist mantle and depict their critics and opponents as anti-nationals. To my mind this is an extremely dangerous territory of any party in a democracy, and especially the ruling party in a democracy to go on.
12:53 Seat-sharing wasn't discussed: Ghulam Nabi Azad meets DMK's Karunanidhi
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday met DMK Chief M Karunanidhi on Friday to finalise the talks on seat sharing for the May 16 Tamil Nadu assembly election.
Commenting on the outcome of the talks, Azad said, "Seat-sharing was discussed. Numbers have not been finalised yet. We've given some time to DMK, we'll also discuss among ourselves."
Ghulam Nabi Azad's visit comes in the wake of several unsuccessful attempts of the DMK to woo DMDK to its camp.
12:50 Activist Trupti Desai detained for entering temple in Maharashtra
Activist Trupti Desai was detained by police after she entered and offered prayers at the Trimbakeshwar temple today. Local women in Nashik gathered to protest against Desai's arrest.
"We offered prayers to Lord Shiva at Trimbakeshwar temple and prayed that women be allowed to enter the temple's sanctum," Trupti Desai said.
Desai was arrested along with other women from Bhumata Brigade earlier this month, when they tried to head towards the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik where women entry is restricted. The women's group had vowed to break the age-old custom of the temple, which does not allow women to enter the inner sanctum of the temple.
12:34 Does engineering education breed terrorists?
'Researchers have long noticed that an oddly large number of jihadists have engineering backgrounds. Recently two social scientists, Diego Gambetta and Steffen Hertog, scrutinized the numbers and concluded that, yes, the proportion of terrorists who are engineers far outpaces expectations,' The Chronicle of Higher Education notes in an interesting essay which you can read HERE
12:07 'Thank you for following me': Kejriwal reacts after Modi follows him on Twitter
It would be fair to say that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not known for getting along. But Holi and Twitter have intersected to lighten the mood.
The PM, who has nearly a million followers on Twitter, began following Kejriwal, who responded with a public acknowledgement. "Sir, thank u for following me. Happy Holi. Hope better Centre-Delhi cooperation in future," wrote the Delhi CM.
In the past, Kejriwal, 47, called the PM a "psychopath" and a "coward".
12:03
JUST IN: FM Arun Jaitley releases BJP's 'vision document' for upcoming Assam assembly election.
11:42 Infosys employee's parents to join his search in Brussels
The parents of Infosys employee Raghvendra Ganesh, who went missing after the terror attacks in Brussels, will the join the search operation in Brussels on Saturday night.
Raghvendra's younger brother is already at the Belgian capital to help locate his whereabouts. Raghvendra's parents are expected to arrive at Brussels tomorrow night.
Meanwhile, they have requested the country to pray for their son's safety.Raghavendran Ganesh, an Indian employee of global software major Infosys Ltd. went missing after Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels.
11:07 Brussels attack: Wounded flight attendant placed in coma
A Jet Airways manager says a flight attendant injured in the Belgium attacks is undergoing treatment for burns and has been placed in a medically induced coma. Bernard Guisset, a Jet Airways manager in Brussels, said Nidhi Chaphekar has burns over 15 per cent of her body and has a fractured foot, but is out of danger. The image of Chaphekar taken right after the blast was one of the most searing photographs taken Tuesday.
10:44 Fears that Islamic State may execute Indian priest today
There are fears that Islamic State may execute Father Tom Uzhannalil, who was kidnapped in Yemen on March 4, could be killed today, Good Friday.
The native of Pala in Kerala was kidnapped in the attack on an old people's home in Aden, where 16 people, including four Indian nuns, died.
According to London's Mirror newspaper, 'The Franciscan Sisters of Siessen, based in South Africa, posted on Facebook: "Was informed that the Salesian priest, Fr.Tom who was kidnapped by ISIS from the Missionaries of Charity Home in Yemen is being tortured and is going to be crucified on Good Friday".'
10:13 US contractor fined $3.1mn for outsourcing work to India
<strong>PTI's Yoshita Singh reports from New York:</strong> A US contractor here has been ordered to pay a hefty fine of $3.1 million for illegally outsourcing government-funded work to a subcontractor based in India.
Focused Technologies Imaging Services, its sole owner Charles Tobin and former co-owner Julie Benware agreed to pay the penalty and fees under an agreement with New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman after admitting that they violated New York federal laws by illegally outsourcing the work to a subcontractor based in Mumbai in 2008 and 2009.
Authorities said the Indian company, which was unaware it had got the work illegally, fully and voluntarily cooperated with the investigation.
The agreement arises from a $3.45 million contract in 2008-2009 between the New York State Industries for the Disabled and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to digitise and index approximately 22 million fingerprint cards into a searchable database.
The cards contained critical personal data including Social Security numbers, date of birth and basic physical characteristics.
Focused paid the Indian company just over $82,000 for this indexing between October 2008 and September 2009.
Authorities stressed that there is no evidence the Indian company nor any of its employees, knew it had obtained the work illegally. They said the outsourcing was illegal because Focused sent personal information of over 16 million people to the Mumbai-based subcontractor that was unauthorised to receive this information.
10:09 US expresses concern over India's ballistic missile launch
Expressing concern over India's recent ballistic missile launch, the US has said such actions could potentially "increase" the risk to nuclear security and have an impact on regional security. "We're concerned by any nuclear and missile developments that could potentially increase the risk to nuclear security risk or lower the threshold for nuclear use," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. The State Department, he said, had shared its concerns with New Delhi.
10:06 Jet flight with stranded Brussels passengers arrives in Delhi
A Jet Airways aircraft carrying 242 people, including 28 crew members, who were stranded in in Brussels after Tuesday's terror attacks, arrived in New Delhi from Amsterdam at 5.30 am on Friday morning.
10:03 Headley claims he organised show for Sena in US
Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley claims before a Mumbai court that he arranged a fundraising programme for the Shiv Sena in the US and had disclosed this to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.
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