A woman was today killed and eight other civilians were injured as Pakistani troops targeted villages and 13 border outposts with heavy mortar shelling in Kathua and Samba districts in Jammu and Kashmir.
The fresh ceasefire violations have triggered migration from border villages and over 1000 people have been evacuated from hamlets in Samba and Kathua district, officials said.
An eight-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in a toilet at a notorious Philippine prison, officials said today, fuelling a national uproar over revelations that its inmates were “living like kings” with stripper bars and jacuzzis.
The girl, who was visiting her inmate father at Bilibid prison in suburban Manila on New Year’s Day, was found sprawled on the bathroom floor, naked from the waist down and with a rope tied around her neck, officials said. Initial medical tests did not indicate that she had been raped.
Not too enthused by the idea of being back on the ground where Phillip Hughes was fatally struck, Australian all-rounder Shane Watson today said memories of the late batsman will flood him the moment he steps out to compete in the fourth cricket Test against India here.
Hughes lost his life in November last year after being struck on the back of his head by a Sean Abott bouncer during a domestic match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Director Farah Khan is aware that it will be a challenge to step into Salman Khan’s shoes as ‘Bigg Boss’ host but she is not worried about the comparison.
The ‘Happy New Year’ director said she will maintain her individual style and not emulate the Bollywood superstar.
“Comparisons are inevitable but I don’t let it affect me. Salman was great as a host. He is honest, spontaneous and candid, something which the format of ‘Bigg Boss’ requires. But I will not copy his style, I would be myself. I will have fun and add humour in my hosting,” Farah told PTI.
Vice President M Hamid Ansari today extended his greetings and good wishes to all citizens on the auspicious occasion of Milad-Un-Nabi, the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad.
In his message, he said, “On this hallowed occasion, let us commit ourselves to remain true to the timeless virtues of peace, compassion, tolerance and forgiveness, as taught by the Holy Prophet.
A BJP MP today demanded the sacking of senior cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan, saying he was a “threat to the unity of the country”.
BJP MP from Ballia Bharat Singh accused Azam of “promoting those hurting Hindu sentiments and making statements causing threat to the unity of the country”.
Speaking to reporters here, Singh demanded Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to immediately sack Azam from the ministry alleging that his acts amounted to “sedition”.
Criticising Aamir Khan-starrer ‘PK’, the MP said that it has hurt the sentiments of Hindus and demanded for a ban on the film.
Congress MP V Hanumantha Rao today urged the Telangana government to take up with the Kerala government the issue of constructing a complex for pilgrims from Telangana who visit Sabarimala.
In a letter to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said a large number of pilgrims from the state visit the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala every year.
These pilgrims face problems regarding food and accommodation during their visit to Sabarimala, the MP said, adding that he had a meeting with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the matter recently.
Amid a raging row over the issue of conversions and reconversions, VHP today justified its ‘ghar vapsi’ programme saying it connects people with the national mainstream while conversions takes them away.
VHP leaders today released a resolution passed at its two-day convention in Hyderabad which says ‘ghar vapsi’ campaigns are not new and have been carried out for years now.
“The ‘Ghar Vapsi’ campaigns are not a phenomenon of today. Hindus were converted as Muslims or Christians by force, allurement and fraud. All those people should be brought back.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today visited the Hindon Air Force Station Hindan here to familarise himself with the operations being carried out by C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 J Super Hercules, the two most modern transport aircraft in Indian inventory.
He was accompanied by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and the Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Western Air Command, Air Marshal S S Soman.
Gujarat Civil Aviation Minister Saurabh Patel today flagged off Ahmedabad-Porbandar flight from the airport here, commencing air connectivity in the region.
The intra-state air connectivity service was started by Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR), which entered into an agreement with the Gujarat Civil Aviation Ministry in November 2014 to start such a service in the state using light aircraft capable of carrying nine passengers.
Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today handed over the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas logo to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel at Gandhinagar.
Swaraj pinned a badge with the logo on Patel’s dress.
She said that the logo, with the message ‘Apna Bharat, Apna Gaurav’ reflects the spirit of ‘Our India, Our Pride’, according to an official release issued here.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is scheduled to be held from January 7 to January 9.
If AirAsia bounces back from its first fatal disaster, much of the credit will go to its effusive founder Tony Fernandes and a well-oiled communications machine.
From the highly visible compassion shown by Fernandes to details such as changing the airline’s bright red logo to a somber gray online, experts say the Malaysia-based budget carrier’s initial response to the tragedy is a textbook example of how to communicate in a crisis.
AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea on Sunday with 162 people on board. More than two dozen bodies have been recovered so far.
Peoples Party of Asif Ali Zardari and others, who all had reservations about the military courts.
Former president Zardari last week said that such courts might be used against politicians.
These parties wanted to create the courts through changes in the Army Act, but now they have dropped the opposition and agreed to amend the Constitution.
It was the second meeting of parties after a similar meeting last month continued for 11 hours and agreed to set up military courts.
After initial reservations, Pakistan’s political leaders today agreed to amend the Constitution to set up military courts for speedy trial of terrorists in the aftermath of the deadly Peshawar school attack.
The decision was reached at a marathon meeting of leaders of all political parties led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the military leadership at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.
Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid told media that leaders gave their consent to a constitutional amendment bill for creation of military courts.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today asked President Mamnoon Hussain to reject the mercy petitions of five death-row prisoners, convicted of targeted killings.
Sharif, in a letter, called on President Hussain to reject appeals of Muhammad Ikramul Haq, Ahmed Ali, Mohammad Tayyab, Ghulam Shabbir and Zulfiqar Ali, officials said.
An official of the President House said the mercy pleas were submitted by the convicts.
The five prisoners, all from Karachi, were convicted of target killings.
A 30-year-old woman was found dead on railway tracks near Behta Hajipur station this morning, police said.
“Right hand of the corpse was fractured and it bore some head injury marks,” SHO Loni Border Police RP Sharma said.
The police officer said that the woman might have been killed somewhere else and her body thrown on the tracks to mislead the investigators.
“Possibility of throwing her (the body) on railway tracks after murder to divert the police probe could not be ruled out.
Two men and a woman were today found infected with swine flu, a health department official said.
Five cases, four from Telangana and one case from Andhra Pradesh, have been reported during the new year, said K Subhakar, the nodal officer for the disease.
In 2014, 88 cases of swine flu were reported from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh put together and out of these, 22 cases were reported during the last week of December 2014 alone.
Last year, 11 persons reportedly died of swine flu.
Delhi BJP today requested Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to notify arterial roads across the national capital with reserved lanes for movement of emergency vehicles, similar to the ones during the 2010 Commonwealth Games here.
“Disaster Management lanes should be notified on all the 70 main roads marked by the Disaster Management Authority,” Delhi BJP Unit President Satish Upadhyay said here.
He said there was great pressure of traffic on the roads of Delhi and it had often being seen that even ambulance, fire tenders and PCR vans were stuck in traffic jam.
A smart “world-class” city in Dwarka, exclusive apartments for senior citizens, a financial hub, electric buses for Delhi and erecting the city’s tallest building are among DDA’s major plans this year.
The ‘smart city’ envisioned by DDA will be a complete sub-city, which would be located in an area of 20-24 hectares, zoned out of Dwarka, Rohini and Narela, and will be equipped with latest technologies and waste-management techniques.
The government today said that companies with a networth of Rs 500 crore or more will have to mandatorily follow the new accounting norms that are converged with global standards from April 1, 2016.
Besides, corporates having a networth of less than Rs 500 crore but are listed or in the process of getting listed will have to compulsorily follow the new norms from April 1, 2017.
Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) are converged with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Taking forward his ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked banks to help create one lakh ‘Swachhta Entrepreneurs’ in a year by financing cleanliness and waste management ventures.
Asking banks to become ‘agents of social transformation’, Modi said the banks need to take up social causes and adopt a charter for the nation’s development.
The Prime Minister launched a ‘Swachh Bharat’ initiative on October 2, 2014 and exhorted everyone in the country to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Clean India.
Delhi Police today said that it will put the “best foot forward” on security arrangements for the Republic Day function where US President Barack Obama will be the chief guest while giving an assurance that the city will not be “shut down” during the period.
“Security will be elaborate and we will put our best foot forward. The preparations are already underway and all the necessary steps are being taken. However, we would like to assure Delhiites that we will not shut down the city,” Police Commissioner B S Bassi told reporters while addressing the annual Delhi Police press conference.
Debutant off-spinner Simon Harmer took three wickets before West Indian captain Denesh Ramdin led a fightback against South Africa on the first day of the third and final Test at Newlands today.
At stumps at Newlands, West Indies, who are attempting to square the series, were 276 for six.
Ramdin (53) and Jermaine Blackwood (45 not out) put on 94 for the sixth wicket to enable the tourists to finish with a respectable total after it seemed they had squandered the advantage of winning the toss and batting first on an easy-paced pitch.
The EU today asked Sri Lanka to ensure that the presidential elections are “peaceful, credible and transparent”, drawing strong criticism from the government which warned the 28-member bloc not to be “prescriptive” about next week’s polls.
The EU called for all parties in Sri Lanka to uphold the democratic tradition and create an environment to hold elections peacefully.
The European Union Heads of Mission in Colombo noted the importance of Sri Lanka’s Presidential election process being peaceful, credible and transparent.
Four unidentified persons allegedly robbed Rs 5 lakh along with valuables from a trader in Kasna area while four vehicles have been stolen from different parts of the town, police said today.
Luharli resident Chaman has lodged a complaint at Kasna police station that four armed men robbed him off Rs 5 lakh cash, one gold chain, two gold rings and mobile phone last night, police said.
While four vehicles were stolen from Sector 25 and Sector 11 areas of the city last night, police said.