An Al Qaeda front group claimed a wave of bombings across Baghdad in a statement on Friday, part of a surge in violence sparking worries of a return to all-out bloodshed.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant said the attacks carried out on Wednesday, when nationwide violence killed 75 people and wounded more than 200, were retribution for the executions this month of people convicted of terror-related offences.
Tanzania has asked Uganda’s president to help it patch up relations with Rwanda after a falling-out over Tanzania’s efforts to bring peace to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania’s prime minister said on Thursday.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said this month ties with Rwanda had soured after he said all nations involved in Congo peace talks, including Rwanda, should talk to rebel groups to end conflict in the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa.
That comment drew fierce criticism from Rwanda, where negotiating with Rwandan FDLR rebels is seen as unacceptable.
The UN has stressed on the importance of a global ban on nuclear tests, while calling for international efforts to achieve the goal of a safer and more secure world.
Marking the International Day against Nuclear Tests, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the importance of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in his message, Xinhua reported Thursday.
“It is time to avert any more of the horrific human and environmental effects caused by nuclear tests through a global ban, the most reliable means possible to meet this challenge,” Ban said.
Israel deployed its Iron Dome missile defence system in Tel Aviv on Friday, as the United States weighed military strikes on neighbouring Syria, local media said.
Army radio said that a battery of the mobile system was set up during the morning in the greater Tel Aviv area.
News website Ynet said that unlike last November when the interceptor missiles brought down rockets fired from Gaza, to the south, this time they were pointing north, toward Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel had deployed its Iron Dome system to meet its current security needs.
After the Land Acquisition Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha Thursday evening, Janata Dal (United) leader Shivanand Tiwari on Friday expressed that though there could not have been a more comprehensive bill on the issue, the government had severely delayed in bringing it into operation.
“Though it is a good bill, I will say that it has come with delay. It has come 66 years after independence. If it had come earlier, the farmer’s land, which has been given to projects for insufficient prices would not have happened-they would be saved from this exploitation,” Tiwari said.
An Al-Qaeda front group claimed a wave of bombings across Baghdad in a statement today, part of a surge in violence sparking worries of a return to all-out bloodshed.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant said the attacks carried out on Wednesday, when nationwide violence killed 75 people and wounded more than 200, were retribution for the executions this month of people convicted of terror-related offences.
The administrative chief of the Dashti-e-Archi district in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz was killed in a suicide bombing Friday morning along with three guards, police said.
“Chief Sheikh Saddruddin wanted to attend a special prayer for a deceased relative in a mosque. As he approached the compound, the bombing took place. He and three of his bodyguards died on the spot,” Xinhua quoted deputy provincial police chief Abadullah Talwar as saying.
Janata Dal (United) leader Shivanand Tiwari on Thursday demanded the arrest of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu and his ‘fanatic’ followers, and said the protests outside JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav’s residence is a dangerous warning sign for Indian democracy.
“The government should go in with full force and all preparation. The reaction from his followers and the protests outside Sharad Yadav’s residence speak volumes. The government should go in with full force to arrest him and put him in jail,” Tiwari said.
Opposition BJP on Friday demanded a reply from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the missing files related to coal block allocations saying the Supreme Court too has come down heavily on the government on the issue.
Raising the issue during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, M Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) said the government has admitted before Supreme Court that a large number of files are missing.
He said he has given a notice for suspension of Question Hour as the Supreme Court yesterday come down heavily on the government over the missing files issue.
Rotana Jet has announced twice weekly flights between Abu Dhabi Al Bateen airport and Bahrain.
Bahrain marked the second international destination of Rotana Jet after Salalah in Oman.
The new service demonstrates the airline’s commitment to expand to destinations that are largely underserved and have great market potential, the airline said.
“Today marks a very special occasion as we celebrate our launch into a city and country that show enormous potential and growth,” said Rajendran Vellapalath, Rotana Jet’s commercial and planning director.
Opposition BJP and AIADMK on Friday lodged strong protest over the manner in which two vacancies in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum scam were filled, saying government was setting a bad precedent.
Raising the issue soon after Rajya Sabha mourned the death of its former member Dharma Chander Prashant, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said JPC members have as per precedent been elected on relative strength of political parties.
With the arrest of Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal, Congress on friday claimed the party-led government’s “track record” in tackling terrorism is far better than that of any other government.
However, the opposition ridiculed the claim, saying Intelligence Agencies, working independently, should be given credit for their “excellent” job in nabbing the most wanted terrorist.
Getting into the combat mode, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday directly attacked the Opposition for calling him “a thief”.
“In no country do Members of Parliament attack the Prime Minister, shout ‘PM chor hai’,” Singh said in the Rajya Sabha.
The sharp remarks came shortly after Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley of the BJP criticised the PM and accused his government of being non-cooperative.
Jaitley made the remarks after the PM made his statement on the state of the economy and the falling rupee.
At least 57 militants were killed in operations launched by the Afghan police, army and the NATO-led coalition forces since Thursday, the country’s interior ministry said Friday.
“During joint cleanup operations conducted by Afghan police, army and the coalition troops, 57 Taliban insurgents were killed, 10 wounded and four detained over the past 24 hours,” Xinhua reported citing a ministry statement.
The raids took place in Baghlan, Kunduz Nangarhar, Kapisa, Sari Pul, Jawzjan, Kandahar and Helmand provinces to clear the areas from militants, the statement said.
As the only event on European soil to be sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour, the European Masters is an event like no other.
Played in the high altitudes at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, the breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps and Swiss hospitality have left many players eager to return each year.
The Lok Sabha was Friday adjourned till 2 p.m. over the sliding rupee and continuing protests against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
As soon as the house assembled, members from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Congress raised slogans demanding that Andhra Pradesh remain united.
The protesting members were among the 12 who were suspended for five sittings by the speaker Aug 23 for disrupting the house on the same issue.
This forced Speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn the house till noon.
When the house re-assembled, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke on the economy.
After a two-day lull, Pakistan Army again violated the ceasefire by targeting forward posts along the LoC in Jammu district, drawing retaliation from Indian forces.
“Pakistan Army opened indiscriminate and unprovoked firing on forward posts along the LoC in Pallanwala sub-sector in Jammu district around 2330 hours last night”, a senior Army officer said today.
Pakistan Army fired from small and automatic weapons on the forward posts along LoC.
Expressing concern over successive depreciation in the value of the Indian rupee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said this was an outcome of external developments and promised measures internally to address the situation.
In a bid to lift sentiments in the currency markets towards the Indian currency, he also assured that there would be no measures on capital controls.
An Indian-origin scientist has emerged as a star in Singapore after an invention that will help one to ease the pain of tooth extraction, earning him praise from even the city-state’s Prime Minister.
Dr Margam Chandrasekaran, whose family hails from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, led a team of seven to eight researchers, who invented a tiny cylindrical bone tissue scaffold that helps with bone growth and retain the gum’s shape after tooth extraction, a Singaporean Indian community weekly ‘Tabla!’ reported.
The scaffold is made from a bio-polymer which disintegrates within two to six months.
A Sub-Inspector and two policemen have been placed under suspension after they demanded bribe from three police personnel, including a Superintendent of Police, disguised as workmen of a truck carrying river sand.
The unsuspecting policemen ran into the trap laid by Kannur Superintendent of Police Rahul R Nair, after getting several complaints about them demanding bribes from truckers, especially those carrying river sand in violation of rules, police said today.
As the deadline for registration nears, over 8,000 Indians have so far signed up for the one-way trip to Mars and settle down on the red planet, as ‘Mars One’ project is planning to establish a colony there in the next 10 years.
‘Mars One’, a not-for-profit foundation intends to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023 and is registering those interested to make it up there.
India stands fourth among other countries of the world with 8,107 applicants, as on August 27.
YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy is continuing his indefinite fast in hospital, where he was shifted by Chanchalguda jail authorities late Thursday night as his condition started deteriorating.
Doctors at government-run Osmania General Hospital said Jaganmohan Reddy refused to take intravenous fluids. After examining him, the doctors had advised him to take the intravenous fluids as the glucose level in the body had come down.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is set to host the seventh season of gameshow “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), says he is just a host and doesn’t take any credit for the show’s popularity.
“I take zero credit. The most important part of the show is the show itself. It’s a very well constructed show and not just a simple question and answer thing. Very deep research has gone into it.
A pregnant married woman was allegedly killed by her in-laws over dowry in Hayat Nagar area here, police said on Friday.
Roopwati’s (25) in-laws allegedly sprinkled kerosene oil on her and set her ablaze yesterday as her family members could not meet their dowry demands, they said.
She was rushed to a hospital in serious condition where the victim died during treatment.
On a complaint by victim’s father Veerpal, an FIR has been registered against her husband Munesh, father-in-law Bhure, mother-in-law Katori Devi and sister-in-law Urmila, they said.
Indian stars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes made winning starts in their respective doubles events even as another veteran Mahesh Bhupathi bowed out with a first-round loss at the US Open here.
Sania and her Chinese partner cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles event after they easily saw off the challenge of German Annika Beck and Puerto Rican Monica Puig in straight sets, winning 6-2 6-2 on court 16 of the USTA National Tennis Center yesterday.
The 10th seeds will play the Hungarian-American combine of Katalin Marosi and Megan Moulton-Levy.