LIVE! Yemen violence death toll tops 1,000: UN

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Thu, 23 April 2015

Yemen violence death toll tops 1,000: UN

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23:52 Yemen violence death toll tops 1,000: UN

The death toll from fighting in Yemen since late March has topped 1,000, the United Nations said today, saying it wanted to quickly send international staff back to the country.

Fighting and airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition "have impacted virtually the entire country," UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen Johannes Van Der Klaauw said in a statement.

"The toll on civilians has been immense," he added.

At least 1,080 people had been killed in the country, including 48 children and 28 women, and a further 4,352 people had been injured in the violence between March 19 and April 20, according to the latest toll from the World Health Organisation.

WHO receives its statistics from health facilities in Yemen, but since many people are not making it to hospitals for treatment the real numbers are probably higher.

The latest toll was published as Saudi-led coalition warplanes launched new strikes on Yemen despite a demand by Iran-backed Huthi rebels for a complete halt to the raids as a condition for UN-sponsored peace talks.

In a move aimed at helping transgender persons open bank accounts and avail related services, the Reserve Bank today directed banks to include a

separate column 'third gender' in all their forms and applications.

It has been brought to our notice that transgender persons face difficulties in opening accounts as there is no provision for them in the account opening and other forms, the RBI said.

"Banks are, therefore, directed to include 'third gender' in all forms/applications etc. prescribed by the Reserve Bank or the banks themselves, wherein any gender classification is envisaged," it said in a notification.

Switzerland tops a global ranking of happiness, closely followed by Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada in a comprehensive study unveiled by academics in New York today.

The 2015 World Happiness Report is the third annual report that seeks to quantify and explain happiness in 158 countries as a means of influencing government policy across the planet.

Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia round out the top 10, meaning that small or medium-sized countries in Western Europe occupy seven of the top 10 slots.

The United States trails in 15th place, behind Israel and Mexico, and Britain at 21, pipped by Belgium and the United Arab Emirates. France ranks number 29, behind Germany in 26th place.

On March 20, 2013, a cyberattack brought chaos to several banks and media outlets in South Korea.

Then more ominously on December 23 last year, computers at the country's nuclear operator were breached. Again cybercrime was suspected.

The source of these attacks? North Korea. And South Korean investigators say they have proof -- the actual malicious codes used in the attacks. They shared this data with CNN.

The 2013 attack, known as "Dark Seoul," paralyzed an estimated 48,000 computers at a number of major banks and broadcasters, disrupting network systems and wiping their hard disks clean.

Read full story HERE.

Chile's Calbuco volcano erupted twice in 24 hours, the country's National Geology and Mining Service said early Thursday.

The agency said it was evaluating the spectacular nighttime eruption, but indicated it was "stronger than the first one."

Read full story HERE.

Cartoonist Scott Adams once famously said, "Nothing defines humans better than their willingness to do irrational things in the pursuit of phenomenally unlikely payoffs. This is the principle behind lotteries, dating, and religion."

All those men who can only dream about dating a new woman each day: this man is going to definitely make you jealous.

Read this interesting story HERE

A street dog was run over by a car on April 11 in the presence of police officer near Carter Road, Bandra in Mumbai, The Golden Sparrow noted.

The road adjacent to Chimbai Police Chowky was the dog's home for the past four years.At around 11:30 on the fateful night, the dog was sleeping peacefully on his spot, when a Hyundai Verna car drove out of a nearby residential apartment and ran right over him.

Read this story HERE

The probe by the Delhi police on the suicide of a Rajasthan farmer at a rally here of Aaam Admi Party will be 'completely fair', Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.

"I can assure you that the investigation will be completely fair," he told reporters here on the sidelines of a function. Asked about the possibility of conducting the probe through CBI, Singh said "let this probe be over first".

Earlier in the day, the Home minister told Parliament that he had ordered a time-bound probe by the Delhi police into the incident. Farmer Gajendra Singh from Rajasthan committed suicide at the rally in full public view in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at Jantar Mantar.

The erstwhile royal family of Jammu and Kashmir today moved a local court seeking possession back of some buildings in the Raj Bhawan which it alleged were 'illegally occupied' by the state government.

Trustee of Hari-Tara Charitable Trust, Karan Singh, filed the lawsuit in the court of the Principal Sessions Judge against the state government for 'illegally' occupying the Bhawan, once known as Maharaja's palace buildings.

Principal Sessions Judge R S Jain issued a notice to the chief secretary and the PWD secretary of the state government for filing objections before May 12.

"It is respectfully prayed that the court may kindly be pleased to pass a decree of ejectment against the defendants (J&K government) from the suit-property known as 'Ranbir Mahal' and 'Karan Niwas' along with land measuring 126 canals, servant quarters, lawns, orchards, trees, fences, ditches, easements and other appurtenances thereof including passage, pathways and road leading up thereto from the city entrance with five guard-rooms of the said entrance, (hereafter referred as 'suit-property') land, situated at Jammu and directing the defendants to hand-over the vacant possession to the plaintiff of the suit property," the petition filed by Dr Karan Singh's lawyer Vikram Sharma said.

Megawati Sukarnoputri, the former Indonesian president and the daughter of country's first President Sukarno, today told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj the story behind her name.

Swaraj met Megawati, 68, an old friend of India, and discussed efforts to strengthen bonds between the two countries. During their conversation, she recalled how the late Biju Patnaik, former Chief Minister of Odisha, gave her name Megawati.

The Indonesian leader told Swaraj that Patnaik had visited Indonesia to meet her father Sukarno when she was born. She said it was raining heavily so Patnaik suggested the name Megawati (daughter of clouds). "For me Indonesia is India," she told Swaraj.

Swaraj presented her the first translated edition of the book 'The Indian Woman' into Indonesian language Bhasha. Megawati had served as first and only woman president of the predominantly Muslim country from July 23, 2001 to October 20, 2004.

The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to carry out the cadre review exercise in the BSF as laxity on the part of the government has "resulted in acute stagnation in promotions" and 'frustration' among officers in the force 'which is not good for the security of the country'.

While noting that "lack of cadre review in 25 years has resulted in no post creation at command levels (Commandant to Additional Director General level)," the court directed that the cadre review exercise should be completed within the next six months.

Further, it called for lowering the age profile at the level of Commandant as the data would evince that currently, the officers in BSF are picking up the rank of Commandant in the age bracket of 47 to 52 years and the average age of picking up Command is 48 years.

he Maharashtra government has issued a circular banning the sale and use of sharp kite strings called 'manja' which injure and kill birds as well as people.

The circular under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act 1986 was issued after a petition seeking a ban on 'manja' was filed by a citizen in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court, according to a People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India release issued here today. The Nagpur-based organisation People for Animals are a party in the matter.

Previously, after receiving appeals from PETA India, the government advisory body Animal Welfare Board of India had urged states and union territories to ban 'manja', while the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had sent letters urging them to address the issue, the PETA release said.

19:26 US admits two hostages killed in Al Qaeda raid

The White House has said that a US counterterrorism operation in January killed two hostages who were being held by Al Qaeda.

Dr Warren Weinstein, an American held by the militants since 2011, was one of those killed in the raid in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Read this story HERE

JUST IN: After a whole day of much political mudslinging, and the Delhi police alleging that the AAP workers instigated the suicide of Rajasthan farmer Ganjendra Singh, his family members have now claimed that the letter found on his person was not a suicide note, but a letter to highlight farmers' issues.

"The letter was not a suicide note; it was a letter to highlight the farmers' woes," said a relative.

More details are awaited.

18:59

JUST IN: Govt prepares to take up the GST bill in Lok Sabha on Monday.

18:56 Searching Parrikar's house will embarrass nation: Goa govt

A Goa court has stayed a warrant issued by a lower court to search the official residence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Delhi to trace convicted former state minister Francisco 'Miccky' Pacheco as the state government held that execution of the order will be an embarrassment to the nation. Pacheco has been convicted for assaulting a junior engineer. Additional Public Prosecutor Mahesh Amonkar, appearing on behalf of the state, told the court that "such a warrant would be embarrassment to the Defence Minister, the PM and the nation." He also said that there was no need for a separate search warrant for police as they have already been asked to arrest Pacheco.

Cracking down on the Ford Foundation, one of the most powerful international funding organisation, ministry of home affairs has ordered that it be put under a watchlist in "national interest and security" of the country. Putting Ford Foundation on prior permission list, MHA has ordered that all the funds coming from Ford Foundation, US, for any agency or NGOs in country will first need to be cleared by the ministry. MHA has asked the RBI to instruct all banks and their branches to ensure that any fund flow from Ford Foundation will first be cleared by the ministry.

Congress workers have announced that a tribute will be held for Gajendra Singh, the farmer who died at the AAP rally on Wednesday, at 6.30 pm this evening. Earlier in the day, Youth Congress workers had protested outside Kejriwal's residence, demanding his resignation over the issue.

Moutassem Yazbek is a Syrian refugee who took a smuggler's ship from Turkey to Italy in December 2014. He currently lives in Germany, where he has volunteered to help other recent arrivals from Syria. Here's his harrowing account.

I would have done anything to get to Europe. It was worth the risk, the bad treatment and the fear, hard as that may be to believe. Simply put, I have a better life now than I did before. But my journey across the Mediterranean, like those of thousands of other migrants, wasn't easy.

Read the detailed account HERE

TERI Director General R K Pachauri, facing allegations of sexually harassing a woman employee, was denied permission to travel abroad for next week's Global Water Summit in Greece by Delhi High Court after which he withdrew his plea. Justice S P Garg disagreed with the request of Pachauri, that he should be allowed to attend the summit, saying his presence is not mandatory.

As the blame game continues with the Delhi police stating that AAP workers instigated Gajendra Singh, the farmer who died at the AAP rally on Wednesday, Delhi police are now going to send his suicide note for a forensic investigation.

After his suicide, people had found a suicide note on the farmer's body in which he had stated that his father had disowned him and he had faced losses owing to crop damage. However, today, his family refuted the claims, saying that Gajendra hadn't suffered major losses at all this year.

Further, an AAP delegation led by Sanjay Singh will be visiting Gajendra's village tomorrow to pay respect to his family.

Internet users in India are likely to reach up to 550 million in 2018, primarily led by affordable access and improved awareness, a report said. The country's internet user base was around 190 million in 2014. "The full rate and extent of future internet penetration depends on several factors, but we expect the number of internet users to at least double, from 190 million in 2014 to 400 million in 2018. Our most aggressive forecast predicts as many as 550 million users in 2018," Boston Consulting Group said in a report.

16:38

Here's Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi presenting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chaadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. He posted this image with the caption, "People wholeheartedly welcomed PM @narendramodi ji's chaadar and message at Ajmer Sharif Dargah showering flower petals" on Twitter.

On Wednesday, the minister had visited the famous dargah to present Modi's chaadar.

16:27 Malala, Sharmeen named in NYT's Women of Impact list

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai and Oscar-winning film-maker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy have been named in The New York Times' Women of Impact list. While Malala occupies the 36th spot on the list, Obaid-Chinoy occupies the 48th spot on the list. She won an Oscar for her documentary Saving Face on the subject of acid violence in Pakistan.

The National Human Rights Commission today strongly favoured ordering of a judicial enquiry by Andhra Pradesh Government into the Chittoor police firing incident.

An NHRC team would also visit the scene where 20 people were killed in the police firing in Seshachalam forest near Tirupati in an operation said to be against fellers of red sanders on April 7.

French police were hunting today for possible accomplices to an Algerian whose plan to attack churches was foiled when his arsenal of weapons was uncovered purely by chance.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the planned attack on one or more churches in the town of Villejuif just south of Paris was the fifth to be thwarted since a jihadist killing spree in the capital left 17 dead in January.

Let me assure you, Mr President, Pakistan considers China's security as our own security, Nawaz Sharif told Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Pakistan's parliament.

Two days later, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Pakistan military plans to devote nine army battalions and six wings of civilian security force to protect Chinese workers and engineers. Roughly, this would equate to 12,000 men protecting the immigrant workers.

Xi, during his two-day visit to Pakistan, had announced a China-Pakistan economic corridor that would link the Pakistani port of Gwadar, now run by the Chinese, to the city of Kashgar in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang. The route would go through Pakistan's restive northern region with militant presence. Gwadar is in Baluchistan, where rebels are involved in a running battle with the Pakistani government, reports WSJ.

In 2013, members of an international mountaineering expedition, including two Chinese, were killed by the militants.

But the main threat to Chinese-backed projects in Pakistan will come from Al Qaeda and affiliates. Will the new security force be able to match up to them?

Researchers have successfully developed a post-exposure Ebola treatment that is effective against a specific strain of the virus that killed thousands of people in West Africa.

The treatment is the first to be shown effective against the new Makona outbreak strain of Ebola in animals that were infected with the virus and exhibited symptoms of the disease, researchers said.

The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is setto retain the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation even as it faced a tough fight from the NCP in Navi Mumbai where party stalwart Ganesh Naik is trying to retain power.

The counting for the civic polls, held yesterday,began this morning.

In a shocking discovery, doctors in the US have found an embryonic twin complete with bone, hair and teeth in the brain of a 26-year-old Indian woman undergoing surgery for a suspected tumour.

Yamini Karanam, a PHD student at Indiana University, sought medical help last September after she started having trouble reading and talking.

The National Human Rights Commission today strongly favoured ordering of a judicial enquiry by Andhra Pradesh Government into the Chittoor police firing incident.

An NHRC team would also visit the scene where 20 people were killed in the police firing in Seshachalam forest near Tirupati in an operation said to be against fellers of red sanders on April 7.

AAP has charged the government with misusing its power.

Says the Delhi Police is not cooperating with a magisterial probe into Gajendra Singh's suicide.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke in Parliament on the farmer's suicide issue. He said there is nothing more important than the life of the farmer.

"It should be our determination to find a solution to this problem. The issue has been there for long, we will take all good suggestions: For years the issue of farmers committing suicide is a matter of great concern"

13:43 Tragic and shameful incident: Rajnath Singh

The incident is indeed very tragic and shameful, says Rajnath Singh .

"No government will say it is anti-farmer. All governments will claim to be pro-farmers."

The Home Minister says that this issue isn't just the government's responsibility.

"Opposition and the government should together think of ways to get farmers out of this crisis."

Home Minister Rajnath Singh expresses solidarity with family of the deceased famer Gajendra Singh.

Says there is no need to politicise the issue. Based on the report prepared by Delhi police chief BS Bassi, the Home Minister says the police acted swiftly when the incident was reported. The cops immediately called for an ambulance to take Gajendra Singh to hospital.

A Naxal commander was gunned down in an encounter between Maoists and police in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Kondagaon district today.

The gun-battle took place in the restive forests near Matwal village under Mardapal police station limits when a team of district police was carrying out a search operation in the wee hours today, Kondagaon SP Abhishek Meena told PTI.

Opposition in Parliament says anti-farmer policy of the Modi government driving farmers' to suicide.

BJP in turn blames Congress for the suicide. Says, misrule by previous Congress responsible to present situation.

'Mann ki baath' on radio will not solve problems, says another MP.

"We want the PM to make a statement on the issue in the floor of a House," said Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad amid noisy protests in Rajya Sabha.

Similar demands were made in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on th issue. "This isn't suicide, this is homicide and the culpability lies with the government... Request the PM to come out of Twitter and see the ground reality," said CPI' MB Rajesh.

The suicide of farmer Gajendra Singh has led to chaos is both Houses of Parliament.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to make a statement on the issue in both houses of Parliament.

The Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi has sent the Home Minister a report on the incident.

"We have submitted a report on this incident to the home ministry...I would not like to comment on anything allegations as the matter is under investigation. Yesterday an FIR under sections 306, 186, 34 IPC was filed in this case. The matter is under investigation, we will let you about it as it proceeds," Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said.

Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, police chief BS Bassi had met Rajnath Singh over the Jantar Mantar suicide case in the morning.

12:15 MPs' club gets new facility: unisex salon

Constitution Club of India, that hallowed institution that has as members current and former members of Parliament, has introduced another feature for our tired representatives to rejuvenate their mind and body.

A unisex salon.

A communication from the Club to its members says: Constitution Club of India invites you to unisex salon with trained hair stylists, offering all the luxuries of male & female personal care.

11:57 Masarat Alam detained under Public Safety Act

Mukhtar Ahmad/Rediff.com reports from Srinagar:

Senior separatist leader, Masarat Alam Bhat has been detained under the Public Safety Act and lodged in high security Kotbalwal jail.

Alam had last week been arrested by the state police 'for provocative activities and hoisting Pakistan flag' during a rally to welcome hardline separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani on April 15.

Alam had applied for a bail and the matter was pending in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Budgam. The CJM was to pass the order on the bail application on Saturday. He had been remanded to police custody which would have ended on Saturday.

Responding to the open letter written by a group of activists criticising her for appearing in a 'racist' ad by Kalyan Jewellers, for which she is a brand ambassador, actress Aishwarya Rai's publicist has responded saying that she was not involved in the final image that appeared in the advertisement.

'On the onset we would like to thank you on drawing our attention to the observation of the perception of the advertisement. Here is an attachment of the shot taken by somebody during the shoot.

'The final layout of the ad is entirely the prerogative of the creative team for a brand. However shall forward your article as a viewpoint that can be taken into consideration by the creative team of professional working on the brand visual communication,' says the communication from the publicist, who also sent the photograph alongside to media houses.

11:30 Lok Sabha adjourns for over 30 minutes

Lok Sabha adjourns for over 30 minutes following Opposition uproar over a farmer's suicide in the national capital yesterday.

There is chaos is both Houses of Parliament on the farmer's suicide case.

Cong says there is nothing more important than this issue.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to make a statement on the issue in both houses of Parliament.

Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, police chief BS Bassi had met Rajnath Singh over the Jantar Mantar suicide case in the morning.

Congress had asked for an adjournment motion on farmer death issue in Parliament.

Workers of the Youth Congress on Thursday protested against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal outside his residence following the suicide of farmer Gajendra Singh, who committed suicide during an Aam Aadmi Party rally in the national capital.

The benchmark BSE Sensex rose over 164 points to regain the 28,000-mark and the NSE Nifty also reclaimed the 8,500-mark in early trade today on continued buying activity after the government offered DTAA relief to MAT-hit foreign investors.

The 30-share barometer recaptured the 28,000-level by advancing 164.34 points, or 0.58 per cent, at 28,054.47 with all sectoral indices, led by realty, metal and consumer durable and power, trading in positive zone.

10:13 Crime Branch to probe farmer's suicide case

A Crime Branch team will visit Gajendra Singh's village in Rajasthan to probe the farmer's suicide case.

An FIR of abetment to suicide case has been registered. The Delhi Police is said to meet the relatives and local authorities.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi to institute an inquiry into the public suicide of farmer Gajendra Singh during a rally in the national capital.

Bollwood actor Salman Khan, who was expected to record his statement in theArms Act case against him has reportedly sought exemption from appearing in the court citing health reasons.

The 49-year-old actor, therefore has sought exemption from appearing at the Jodhpur court on health grounds.

The Arms Act case is an offshoot of the 1998 black buck poaching case, where the actor has been accused of killing the endangered 'chinkaras' during the shooting of his film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

09:11 Rajya Sabha to resume Budget Session today

The Rajya Sabha will begin its sittings from Thursday to further take up financial and legislative business as part of the ongoing Budget session.

The session will have 13 sittings and will continue till May 13.

The last session of the House was adjourned on March 20 and was subsequently prorogued by the President in order to re-promulgate the land ordinance.

Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen in an interview to a leading English magazine said: "Bangla jihadis are plotting to kill me."

Bangladeshi terror group Ansarullah Bangla Team is plotting to cross over to West Bengal and then travel to New Delhi to kill her, she said.

According to insiders, Indian Intelligence agencies have warned Nasreen that she might be this terror outfit's next target. They are sending out threats to the writer on social networking platforms.

Ansarullah Bangla is the same group that plotted the murders of bloggers Avijit Roy and Wasiqur Rahman in Bangladesh. They had sent out threats to both on social networking platforms.

In one of her recent tweets, Nasrin has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is presumed that she will ask for additional security cover for herself.

The biggest 'chadar' put together by the skilled craftsmen of Surat is to be offered at the Ajmer Dargah Sharif on the occasion of the 803rd Urs of Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty.

The 'chadar' is 24 meters long and 17 meters wide. It took six months for ten craftsmen to make it and is said to be the biggest 'chadar' to be offered at the Dargah.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with Jorge Arreaza, the Vice-President of Venezuela at the 60th Asian African Conference Commemoration on Wednesday.

The 10th anniversary of the New Asian African Partnership is taking place in the year 2015 in which various streams of the global discourse are gathering pace to culminate in four key events - COP21 on Climate Change in Paris, Summit to finalize Post-2015 Development Agenda, 70th Anniversary of the UN and the 10th WTO Ministerial in Kenya - each one of which will have far-reaching political and economic ramifications.

A Michigan woman was sentenced three to seven years in prison after firing her gun at a McDonald's drive-through when her hamburger was delivered twice without bacon, local media reported.

Shaneka Monique Torres, 30, was convicted in March of carrying a concealed weapon, discharging a firearm into a building and felony use of a firearm, according to ABC affiliate WZZM in Grand Rapids yesterday. A judge sentenced her to serve three to seven years in prison at a hearing.

A surface-to-air missile has crashed shortly after being launched in northern Russia, Russian news agencies said, in a failed test that will be seen as an embarrassment for the country's military forces.

An official speaking on condition of anonymity initially told AFP the incident had involved an experimental military rocket, but state-owned weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey was later quoted as saying it was an Antey-2500 missile that fell back to the ground.

A moderate 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit the New Zealand capital Wellington today, the US Geological Survey reported, rattling office blocks but causing no apparent damage.

The quake's epicentre was at the top of the South Island at a depth of 22 kilometres, the USGS said. New Zealand's official GeoNet monitoring service put its intensity at magnitude 5.2.

In a tweet thanking fans for showing up for screenings of Batman V Superman, director Zack Snyder offered a good shot of the Batsuit worn by Ben Affleck.

"Thanks to everyone that turned out for the #MondayBvSSpecialIMAXEvent screenings tonight," Snyder shared on Twitter with the first clear view of the full Batsuit. "#BatmanvSuperman."

On March 20, 2013, a cyberattack brought chaos to several banks and media outlets in South Korea.

Then more ominously on December 23 last year, computers at the country's nuclear operator were breached. Again cybercrime was suspected.

The source of these attacks? North Korea. And South Korean investigators say they have proof -- the actual malicious codes used in the attacks. They shared this data with CNN.

Read full story HERE.

01:30 Houthis: Halt strikes and we can talk

As Saudi forces pounded southern Yemen with a fresh series of airstrikes Wednesdays, Houthi rebels called for peace talks.

The U.N.-sponsored talks should resume "but only after a complete halt of attacks," Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a Facebook post.

The previous round of talks between Houthi rebels and the government of Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi failed in January after rebels attacked the president's personal residence and presidential palace in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced the end of its Operation Decisive Storm, a nearly month long air campaign against Houthi positions.. The Saudi-led coalition said a new initiative was underway, Operation Renewal of Hope, focused on the political process.

Read full story HERE.

Robben Island has served many functions. Most famously, it was the political prison that housed Nelson Mandela, the deceased South African president, for 18 years. In the 19th century, it served as a hospital and leper colony. Today, Robben Island is a UNESCO heritage site, and the most visited landmark in South Africa.

And for the first time, you don't need a plane ticket to get there.

Today, Google Street View launched the most comprehensive online tour of Robben Island to date. This tour, however, is different. Unlike other Street View projects, the Robben Island Prison Tour is annotated by former political prisoner Vusumsi Mcongo, who acts as a virtual guide.

As users scroll through panoramic images of, say, the prison courtyard, Mcongo describes his days chiseling rock as part of his manual labour detail.

"The whole thing was to be able to tell a human story," says Google spokesperson Mich Atagana.

Read full story HERE.

The Basij is a militia made up of fighters loyal to Iran's religious leaders; their mission is to protect the country's Islamic order.

To do that, they will go to any lengths necessary, including -- they say -- taking on ISIS.

"We all are prepared to go and destroy ISIS totally," one Basij commander told CNN. "If our Imam, our Supreme Leader orders us, we will destroy ISIS."

The commander says that, so far, the Basij has not been caught up in the fight against the feared Islamic extremists currently waging war in parts of Iraq and Syria.

Read full story HERE.

This time, it's official: Russia expects North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Moscow next month for World War II anniversary celebrations.

North Korean representatives have confirmed that Kim will be in the Russian capital for May 9 Victory Day celebrations, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday, according to Russian state-run news agency Tass.

This would mark Kim's first official foreign trip since inheriting the leadership of North Korea in late 2011.

Read full story HERE.

00:13 Top headlines in the last 24 hours

SHOCKING: Man hangs himself at AAP rally, Kejriwal under attack

'Beef party' and bandh welcome Amit Shah in Meghalaya

Govt gives nod to try juvenile accused under adult laws

Timeline Refresh

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