Live! 21 killed in coal mine fire accident in China

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Sat, 21 November 2015

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23:56 21 killed in coal mine fire accident in China

Twenty-one workers were killed today when a fire engulfed a state-owned coal mine in China's northeast Heilongjiang province, one of the deadliest

accidents to hit the world's largest coal producer.

One missing mine worker was located safely.

Rescuers have found bodies of 21 workers after a coal mine caught fire in Jixi city of the province late last evening, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 38 miners were working down in the shaft when the fire broke out at the mine in Jixi city operated by the state-owned Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group. 16 of them managed to escape.

The government said the fire was under control and no secondary disaster had been reported.

President of the mining group Hao Fukun said rescuers could reach the missing miner by midnight. The report, however, did not mention the condition of the missing person who was safely traced.

Authorities in the Dutch Caribbean island of St Maarten say they have detained three Syrians traveling with fake Greek passports.

The public prosecutor's office said today that the Syrians were detained November 14 and that the investigation is continuing.

Officials said the three have not asked for asylum, but they do not believe the Syrians are tied to any terrorist groups.

Spokesman Norman Serphos told The Associated Press that the three men came on an Insel Air flight from Haiti. No further details were available.

Officials said the Syrians had traveled from Europe then stopped in Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Haiti before entering St Maarten. It is unclear where they were headed.

Authorities said similar routes have been used by other Syrians arrested in neighboring countries.

21:14 IS claims Baghdad mosque attack that killed 10

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad following Friday prayers that Iraqi officials say

killed 10 people.

The IS statement circulated by supporters online today only mentions a suicide attack. Iraqi officials say a roadside bomb outside the mosque was followed minutes later by a suicide attack inside the building.

Iraqi officials say four separate attacks in Baghdad today killed eight people and wounded 20. Three people were killed, including two Iraqi soldiers, and another two people were wounded when gunmen opened fire on a convoy south of Baghdad.

China has enhanced its security and anti-terrorism response in the capital here with heavier police presence and stricter checks on parcels, following

Paris and Mali hotel terrorist attacks.

The Chinese capital raised its security level on November 15, two days after the Paris terrorist attacks, according to a source with the bureau.

The security measures came after three Chinese were killed in the attack at a hotel in Mali yesterday by Islamic extremists. Another Chinese hostage was killed by Islamic State a few days ago.

20:24 Armed robbers loot Rs 80,000 from SBI

In a broad daylight robbery, three armed miscreants today shot dead a security guard and looted around Rs 80,000 from a nationalised bank in Chinhat police station area of the state capital this afternoon.

Three masked men barged into the State Bank of India and shot dead the guard Shravan Kumar, who offered resistance, police said.

Holding the staff and customers at gun point, they later looted cash estimated to be around Rs 80,000 and fled, police said.

Combing has been launched to nab the culprits, police said, adding that the CCTV footage was being examined and the eye witnesses were also being questioned.

There was applause for the French security services and police in the National Assembly on Thursday when it was announced that they had caught - and killed - the planner of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud.

But the focus on the manhunt - and the shock and grief inspired by the attack - cannot hide the fact that there are also major questions about the atrocities and the response which lie unanswered.

One set of questions relate to whether France could have detected such a large plot.

19:53 Turkish jets hit PKK targets in northern Iraq

Turkey's military says fighter jets have bombed suspected Kurdish rebel targets in a new cross-border offensive in northern Iraq.

A military statement today said the overnight airstrikes hit suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, hideouts, shelters and supply points in four areas of northern Iraq. Areas targeted included the Qandil mountains where the PKK's leadership is based.

Separate raids were also conducted on PKK caves, shelters and weapon emplacements in Turkey's mainly Kurdish Sirnak province, the military said.

19:41 World leaders arrive for Malay PM's dinner

PM Narendra Modi arrives for gala dinner hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Dressed in a traditional green Malayasian dress, Modi is expected to dine alongside other world leaders here.

US President Barack Obama is also in attendance at the event.

Six Russians were killed in the hotel attack in Mali, the foreign ministry in Moscow said today, saying that they worked for a cargo airline.

"Among those who died were six citizens of our country," the ministry said in a statement, citing the Russian embassy in Mali.

It said that 12 Russians - all staff of the Volga-Dnepr freight airline - were caught up in yesterday's hostage-taking in Bamako, but six were freed.

Those who died "were shot by gunmen in the restaurant literally in the first minutes of the terrorist attack on the hotel," it said.

18:52 'Foreign' drone crashes in Iran

Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency says a 'foreign' reconnaissance drone has crashed in the country's southwest.

Today's report says the drone crashed on the outskirts of the town of Shush near the border with Iraq the day before, but did not provide further details. It did not say which country the unmanned aircraft belonged to or whether it was shot down.

Iran has claimed to have captured several US drones in recent years, including an advanced RQ-170 Sentinel CIA spy drone in December 2011 and at least three Boeing-designed ScanEagle aircraft.

China today pledged USD 14.5 million to help fund the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the government said in a statement, after the plane vanished in 2014.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is visiting Malaysia, made the offer in a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, according to the statement posted on the central government website.

Australia is leading the difficult search in the southern Indian Ocean for the plane which mysteriously diverted off course on March 8 last year and disappeared with 239 people on board - the majority Malaysians and Chinese.

Li was quoted as saying that he hoped Malaysia and Australia would continue the search and maintain "effective communication" with China.

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia today, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued and no immediate damage or casualties were reported.

The undersea quake was recorded at a depth of 67 kilometres near Indonesia's Babar islands, according to USGS.

The quake was felt in Saumlaki, the closest city to the epicentre, a local geophysics station officer said.

"We felt the quake for about 25 seconds, and it felt like a truck went past in front of the house," an officer at the geophysics station, Alva Rottie, told AFP.

18:22 Belgium on high alert

the Belgian capital of Brussels was put on the country's highest terror alert level Saturday, with authorities warning of an imminent threat.

The warning, from the Crisis Centre of the Belgian Interior Ministry, cites "a serious and imminent threat that requires taking specific security measures as well as specific recommendations for the population." It advises the public to avoid places where large groups gather -- such as concerts, sporting events, airports and train stations -- and comply with security checks.

The city's underground metro service will not be running Saturday and other public transit will be operating on a limited schedule, the ministry said.

As news of the warning spread, Belgian authorities said they arrested one person Friday as part of investigations into the deadly November 13 Paris attacks.

The arrest happened in the impoverished Brussels suburb of Molenbeek. The person's home was searched, and a few weapons were found, but no explosives, Belgium's federal prosecutor's office said. No further information about the arrest was released.

Referring to Brussels' alert level, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said then authorities' prime objective is to reduce the number of large events in order to free up police officers to secure Brussels.

Michel added that "given the large number of people" taking the subway, the Crisis Centre of the Belgian Interior Ministry recommended that service halt until Sunday afternoon, when the next evaluation takes place.

Outside of Brussels, the rest of the nation will maintain its current terrorism level.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that he is planning to take two months of paternity leave upon his first child's birth, underlining the importance of family in the life of one of the world's youngest billionaire. Zuckerberg, 31, is expecting a girl child after his wife Priscilla Chan, 30, suffered a series of miscarriages.

Terming the decision a "very personal" one, Zuckerberg said in an online post that "outcomes are better for children and families" when working parents take time off to be with their newborns, a strong statement on family life by one of the US's busiest executive.

"Priscilla and I are starting to get ready for our daughter's arrival... Every day things are getting a little more real for us, and we're excited to start this next stage in our lives," Zuckerberg, the founder of world's biggest online social network, said in his post.

An alert citizen saved hundreds of lives after he detected damage to rail tracks near Mainaguri in Jalpaiguri district today and informed the authorities shortly before two long distance trains were to pass the stretch.

A North-East Frontier Railway official said Gagan Roy informed the railway control room after discovering the six-inch crack on single line track at around 8:30 am.

The approaching Teesta Torsha Express, which was running late, and North Bengal Express were immediately halted some distance away from the spot. A railway team then went to the site and repaired the gap. Both trains were to pass the track.

Train movement, which was stopped at 9 am, finally resumed at around 10:10 am, the official said.

16:17 Militants explode bomb on rail track in Assam

Militants exploded a bomb on the Rangya'"Rangapara rail track near Merabil Garia village in Assam's Udalguri district and planted another on the same railway track at Rowta, a police official said today.

The blast occurred on the railway track last night about eight km south of Mazbat damaging a reinforced concrete cement line sleeper, IGP L R Bishnoi said. The explosion with a loud sound had occurred at around 9 PM but none reported it to police with the people thinking football fans had burst firecrackers to celebrate the Northeast United's win in the ISL football game, the police official said.

At the blast site, the letter pad of militant outfit United Gorkha Peoples Organisation was found and investigations are on, Bishnoi said. There is no information about the involvement of the NDFB-S underground group in the blast, he added.

An estimated 70 per cent votes were cast till noon in the by-elections to two assembly segments of Manipur Thangmeiband and Thongju. Altogether 54,751 voters are eligible to decide the fate of six candidates in the by-elections for which polling started from 7 am and will end at 4 pm.

An estimated 70 per cent votes were polled in the by-poll till 1:30 pm, the SEC said. While there were 26,537 voters in Thangmeiband Assembly constituency, an estimated 28,214 were eligible to cast their franchise in Thongju Assembly segment, the SEC said. The Chief Election officer O Nabakishore, also the Chief Secretary of Manipur, said that in addition to the three observers deputed by the Election Commission of India, micro-observers and sector Magistrates have been monitoring the election process today.

O Nabakishore said that voters who are not in possession of voter identity cards have been allowed to exercise their franchise by showing any one of the 12 identity-proof documents recognised by the ECI like passport, driving licence, PAN card, smart card issued by RGI, pension document, passbook issued by bank, service ID, official ID issued to MPs and MLAs.

Accusing the Congress Party of being an 'anti-national' organisation, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said that the grand old party is creating an alliance with the terrorist organisations, having links with Pakistan's ISI, just for the sake of political gains.

"Everyone knows what Punjab went through in the 80s. Those fifteen years of militancy, disturbance, where thousands of Punjabis were killed, there was communal as well as full disturbance of peace in the state of Punjab," Badal told the press conference.

"Everyone knows how it started and in order to fight Akali Dal, the Congress encouraged certain elements which then went out of control and that led to full 15 years of disturbance in Punjab which even threatened the nation's integrity. Today, Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi is trying to create the same environment in the state of Punjab," Badal said.

He also accused the Congress Party for creating an alliance with the terrorist organisations, having links with Pakistan's ISI, just for the sake of political gains.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has donated his "Silsila" jacket to a construction worker, in a bid to extend his support for the cause of distributing clothes to needy people in winters.

The 73-year-old "Piku" star was in the capital yesterday to support "Call to Action: TB Free Haryana" and visited a construction site along with two boys, who appeared on his TV show, to donate clothes.

"... Driving into a deserted construction site to support these 2 boys who had come on our TV show where they told us about what they did with discarded clothes... Distributed them to the poor. I surprised them with my visit and gave away many of my personal clothes... One particular jacket that I wore in 'Silsila'," he wrote on his blog.

Noting that the world is presently "struggling to deal with the worst impulses of intolerance", President Pranab Mukherjee today said this was the time to reinforce the values that bind together the complex diversity of modern-day India and promote them throughout the globe.

Inaugurating the first-ever International Conference of Indologists, he cited Swami Vivekananda's message that "the world has yet to learn from India, the idea not only of toleration, but of sympathy" as he sought to remind people of the high values for which the country has been known. "We are today witnessing events without precedent; when the world is struggling to deal with the worst impulses of intolerance and hatred that mankind has ever witnessed.

"At such a time, there can be no better recourse than to remind ourselves of the high values, written and unwritten samskaras (tradition), duties and the way of life that is the essence of India," he said.

He further stressed that "this is the time to reinforce the civilisational values that bind together the complex diversity of modern-day India and promote them among our people and the world".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he is "alarmed" over obstruction and destruction of medical supplies to Nepal due to ongoing blockade of key border trade points with India as he called on all sides to lift these restrictions without further delay.

"He is alarmed by reports of the obstruction, and destruction, of life-saving medical supplies and the continued impact on humanitarian operations," a statement issued by his spokesperson here yesterday said.

The Secretary-General has "underlined his growing concern over the blocking of essential supplies on the Nepal-India border", it said.

French President Francois Hollande will be the chief guest at the 2016 Republic Day in India. Hollande, would be the fourth French leader to be chief guest at the R-Day ceremony since 1976.

Jacques Chirac has been chief guest twice '" in 1976, as prime minister, and in 1998, as President.

President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, in 1980, and President Nicolas Sarkozy, in 2008, were also chief guests.

Every French president since d'Estaing has visited India, some like Francois Mitterrand (in 1981 and 1989) and Chirac (in 1998 and 2006) twice. But Hollande will be the first to visit India twice in a single term.

In an embarrassment for India, the tricolour was seen hoisted upside down during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photo-op with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe before bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

The national flag was in the background of Prime Minister Modi and Abe's customary handshake at the Summit and was hoisted on a stand next to that of Japan.

The flag is seen with the green at the top and the saffron below as the two leaders met for the second bilateral on the sidelines of 13th ASEAN-India Summit.

"It was an inadvertent mistake in the rush of things. It was unfortunate," official sources requesting anonymity told PTI.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will hold the first meeting of his new cabinet on Saturday evening at the secretariat in Patna.

According to reports, the cabinet would take its decision on calling of special session of 16th Bihar Legislative Assembly and will also decide the date of a joint meeting of both the houses of Bihar legislature.

Nitish will also hold a review meeting to take stock of the situation of law and order with the District Magistrates and Police Superintendents of the districts via video conferencing. Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and the Director General of Police will also remain present in the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his Japanese counterpart who said Indo-Japan ties have the greatest potential of any bilateral relationship in the world.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of 13th ASEAN-India Summit here in the Malaysian capital. "Working through lunch with an old friend. PM @AbeShinzo hosts PM @narendramodi for the second bilateral," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Earlier Modi met his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. "The India-Japan relationship has the greatest potential of any bilateral relationship in the world," Abe was quoted by Swarup as saying.

Five persons have been arrested following a clash between supporters of two Gram Pradhan election candidates at Hashimpur village in the district. Supporters of the two candidates, Padem Singh and Rajeshver, confronted and fired upon each other last evening at Hashimpur village, SP (crime) Rakesh Jolly said.

A case was registered against 13 people, he said, adding that five persons, including Padem Singh have been arrested in the incident. Security has been tightened and extra police force deployed in the village as precautionary measure, police added.

10:37 21 killed in coal mine fire accident in China

Twenty-one workers were today killed and one other person went missing when a fire engulfed a state-owned coal mine in northeast China. Rescuers have found bodies of 21 workers and are searching for another missing after a coal mine caught fire in Heilongjiang Province late evening yesterday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 38 miners were working down in the shaft when the fire broke out, and 16 of them managed to escape. The fire broke out at the mine in Jixi city operated by the state-owned Heilongjiang Longmay Mining Holding Group.

The government said the fire was under control and no secondary disaster had been reported, it said.

The Central Reserve Police Force recovered an IED on the HMT-Narbal Route near Beacon Huts in Lawapora Area in the outskirts of Srinagar on Saturday morning.

The CRPF along with team of 2RR Regiment recovered the IED at 7:30 am. In prima facie it appeared that the IED was targeted at security forces deployed in the area.

More details are awaited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised the impact of his flagship programme 'Jan Dhan Yojana' and talked about the benefits that the people of India have got through the scheme.

"We started the Jan Dhan Yojana. In less than a year we opened 190 million new bank accounts. On social security funds, we have launched innovative and attractive scheme for insurance and pension," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing the Indian diaspora at the hotel Shangri La's ball room.

"We have also set up a Mudra bank to fund the small traders who were unfunded so far. More than 6 million small traders have already availed the loans," he added.

09:49

The PM outlines measures that have been taken to make India investment friendly, and campaigns such as Make in India and Digital India.

"Going further, I want to assure you that India is committed to protect intellectual property rights of all innovators," he says.

09:49 India is doing better than when we took office: Modi@ASEAN

"Reform for me is just a way station on the long journey to the destination.The destination is the transformation of India."

By almost every indication India is doing better than when we took office. Even while cutting the fiscal deficit,we have substantially increased productive public investment." he says.

09:43

"We have begun institutional and structural reforms -- in agriculture, housing, transport, fin inclusion, investment. In a break with over 65 years of tradition, we have involved India's states in foreign policy," he says.

09:34

When my Government took office, we asked what is the purpose of reforms. My answer is clear: we must reform to transform: Modi@ASEAN

09:33 Malaysia: PM Modi addresses ASEAN summit

JUST IN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started his address at the ASEAN summit.

09:32

I have been saying that the 21st century belongs to Asia. I say this because of the track record of ASEAN countries: Modi

09:26 Malaysia: PM Modi meets Chinese Premier Li Keqiang

Commencing his bilateral engagements after landing in Malaysia today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

"A lot of important decisions were made yesterday when Home Minister Rajnath Singh met the Chinese Premier and I am grateful for China's contribution," Modi said.

The prime minister held delegation level talks with China following which he will address the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.

In the wake of the deadly 13/11 carnage in Paris, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has called for the world to fight against the 'terrorists trap' of growing a prejudice against a particular religion or community, as their sole intention is to divide the society on the basis of fear.

Speaking to the media here after the annual conference on Ethics in Business at the European Parliament in Belgium, the guru called for global unity against terror.

"There is so much fear, anxiety and uncertainty in the minds of people that it has become important to re-affirm the faith in humanity."

We cannot get clogged with prejudice at this moment against any religion or community when terror has taken such a toll," he said.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday morning, a large crowd of Indians thronged outside the hotel where he will be staying during his visit, waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

The cheering Indian diaspora were seen dressed up in traditional garb and were waiting outside the Hotel Renaissance with placards, banners and waving Indian flags.As the Prime Minister's car rolled in, the crowd burst out into chants of 'Modi Modi' as the security tried to contain the large crowd.

Modi, flanked by his security team went ahead to greet the crowd and waved at them while the deafening chants of 'Modi' and 'vande matram' rose.

Two of the three suicide bombers who blew themselves up near the Stade de France stadium in the Paris attacks a week ago had passed through Greece posing as migrants fleeing the Syrian war, prosecutors said today.

It was already known that one of the men had been registered in Greece, a key entry point for migrants on October 3 but a second man "has been formally identified as being the individual whose handprints correspond to those of the check in Greece" on the same day, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.

Although Beijing and New Delhi have repeatedly demonstrated a mutual desire to prevent conflict and mitigate tensions when they arise and have avoided a serious violent clash since 1967, the potential for their relationship to deteriorate is ever present.

No single issue or crisis is likely to produce this result. However, a series of disputes in quick succession or their simultaneous emergence could lead to an armed confrontation worse than any since the 1960s.

Read more HERE

France's Senate has voted to extend a state of emergency for three months after last week's deadly attacks.

The state of emergency expands police powers to carry out arrests and searches and allows authorities to forbid the movement of persons and vehicles at specific times and places.

France's lower chamber has already approved the measure.

The vote comes a week after 130 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks across Paris.

00:46 PM Modi leaves for Malaysia, Singapore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday night left for four-day visit to Malaysia and Singapore, during which the focus would be on building trade ties and attracting investments to India.

"Leaving for Malaysia & Singapore. Will attend 2 crucial summits, participate in bilateral meetings & seek greater investment to India," the Prime Minister said in a tweet before his departure for Kuala Lumpur, on the first leg of his trip.

In Malaysia, Modi will be attending the ASEAN-India Summit on Saturday and the 10th East Asia Summit the next day, besides holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Razak and some other world leaders who would be attending the Summits.

He had said the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits are being held at a critical juncture and "together, we will discuss the pressing security issues. The looming threat of terror and the prevailing situation in West Asia will also be a part of the discussions."

In Singapore, Modi will hold deliberations with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on ways to enhance bilateral ties on the occasion of commemoration of 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

00:41 Top headlines at this hour:

27 dead in Mali's Radisson hotel siege; 20 Indians rescued

Peter Mukerjea charged with murder; CBI claims Sheena killed for property

Madras HC stays cancellation of Greenpeace India's licence

Rahman's concert, 76-kg cake: Mulayam's mega birthday bash

Nitish takes oath as Bihar CM, Lalu's son his deputy

Govt will continue to pursue Rs 640-cr Maggi suit

Test-driving the TUV300: The tough and the cute

ATP World Tour Finals: Nadal outlasts Ferrer, stays unbeaten

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