Month: January 2015

Palestinians present ICC membership request to UN

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The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations today formally requested membership in the International Criminal Court, which would allow them to lodge war crimes complaints against Israel.

Membership of the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC, would open a way for Palestinians to pursue criminal complaints in The Hague, but is firmly opposed by both Israel and the United States.

“This is a very significant step,” envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters. “We are seeking justice for all the victims that have been killed by Israel, the occupying power.”

IAF officer commits suicide

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An Air Force officer today allegedly committed suicide inside his apartment in the Salua area of West Midnapore district, the police said.

Bikash Sharma (40), a resident of Bangalore and working with the IAF there, had come for a two-year refresher course with IIT-Kharagpur. He had rented an apartment in Salua where his body was found hanging from the ceiling today, said a police officer.

The body has been sent of post mortem, he added.

Woman falls in sump dies

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A woman mysteriously fell into water sump and died. The incident occurred under Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar police station limits where 22-year-old, Naga Shetty Anita Kumari died. She was the W/O Anil, R/O of Dharam Karam Road area. The couple hailed from Krishna district. The woman was busy working at her house and was washing clothes near the sump when she suddenly fell into the sump and died.

Siasat news

Cong protests against land ordinance

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Congress party workers today held a demonstration against the Centre’s ordinance to change the Land Acquisition Act and blocked traffic for an hour at DND here.

Party workers led by spokesperson Dhirendra Singh held a protest against the amendment ordinance and burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has also threatened to launch an agitation against the ordinance.

Protesting against former Noida engineer-in-chief Yadav Singh, BKU workers burnt his effigy, calling him an “epitome of corruption.”

1 held for aiding escape of gangster

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A person who had allegedly aided the escape of gangster Amit Malik alias Bhoora from the custody of Uttarakhand police was arrested here today by the Special Cell of Delhi Police.

According to Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) SN Shrivastava, the accused, identified as one Ravi, was arrested under Section 41.1 of CrPC and produced in court today where he was remanded to judicial custody for a day.

“He will be handed over to Baghpat police (of Uttar Pradesh) tomorrow by the court,” Shrivastava said.

Pak leaders adopt resolution against India on Rangers’ killing

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Pakistan’s political leaders today adopted a resolution against India, condemning the killing of two Pakistani soldiers in BSF firing.

The All Parties Conference, which met here to sort out differences over creation of military courts for speedy trial of militants, took serious notice of the incident on December 31 in which two soldiers of Pakistan Rangers were killed.

UN tally of Ebola-linked deaths tops 8,000

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The World Health Organization says more than 8,000 people are thought to have died last year from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The Geneva-based body says the total number of confirmed, probable and suspected deaths from the disease in the three most affected countries reached 7,989 by December 31.

The United Nations agency said Friday that 2,827 deaths had been reported from Sierra Leone, some 3,423 from Liberia and 1,739 from Guinea. It said those countries had a total of 20,381 cases to date.

AP govt. releases matching grant in aid for central govt. scholarships

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Andhra Pradesh government has released matching grant-in-aid towards scholarships to minority students provided by the central government, where as Telangana government has not taken any decision in this regard so far.

Both the governments had arrears up to 20.57 cr in connection with the pre & post matric scholarship provided by the central government of which the Andhra Pradesh government released its share of 12 cr while Telangana government is yet to release 8. 66 cr.

Siasat news

Ukraine TV lands in hot water over Russian pop songs

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One of Ukraine’s biggest TV networks faced the threat Friday of being taken off air for filling its highly-rated New Year’s Eve show with Russian pop songs beamed live from Moscow.

The culture minister called the festive if at-times gaudy programme “anti-Ukrainian”. The national security and defence council chief saw it as part of a Kremlin-driven “information war”.

And a Facebook campaign called for the station’s Kiev office to be burned down by a group of nationalists clad in fatigues who were conducting an annual torchlight procession nearby.

Martyr constable Gawaria cremated

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Constable Shri Ram Gawaria, who died when Pakistan violated ceasefire along International Border in Samba sector, was today cremated here.

Gawaria, a resident of Khatipura, was cremated with full state honours.

Jhunjhuna MP Santosh Ahlawat and other state officials paid homage to Gawaria, who died on December 31 when Pakistan fired on a BSF patrol party.

TMCP supporters stopped us from filing nominations: ABVP

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A group of BJP workers including some ABVP activists were allegedly assaulted by Trinamool Congress supporters here today when they gathered to file nominations for the upcoming students’ union election in Kalna College.

A group of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists, the students’ wing of BJP, had gathered at the party office, around 400 metres from the Kalna College before going to file nominations, when TMC supporters, armed with sticks attacked and assaulted them, alleged Sushanta Pandey, president of BJP’s Burdwan (East) wing.

Ind foils ‘major infiltration bid’ as Pak again violates

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Stepping up ceasefire violations, Pakistan tonight resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on several BSF posts along the Indo-Pak border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, drawing a strong retaliation from India which killed two Pakistan Rangers.

BSF sources said they have got reports that five Pakistani Rangers have been killed in the exchange of fire since yesterday, with two casualties post 9:30 P.M.

Today’s ceasefire violation was the fourth by the Rangers in as many days and the eighth in the last nine days.

Cotton godown in UP catches fire

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A major fire broke out today in a cotton godown at Bidhnu area here, officials said.

Firefighters were unable to put out the fire even after three hours, chief fire officer Rakesh Rai said.

Efforts are on to extinguish the fire. No confirmation on casualties can be made until the fire is put out, he said.

It was unclear how the godown caught fire.

Egypt border guards shoot dead Gazan: medics

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Egyptian soldiers firing from across the border shot dead a Palestinian man in the Gaza frontier town of Rafah today, medics said, although the motive was not immediately known.

The border troops shot the 23-year-old man “in the back and the bullet settled in the heart. He died on the spot,” emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.

The shooting was confirmed by the spokesman of the interior ministry in Gaza, Iyad al-Bazm, in a message on his Facebook page.

Firefighters find black box on still-burning ferry

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Wearing gas masks against the smoke, Italian firefighters and investigators boarded the charred Norman Atlantic ferry today and retrieved a data recorder they hope will help them discover what caused a deadly blaze.

But with some parts of the ferry still burning, they emerged hours later to admit they must put off for at least a day the search for any more bodies in the maritime disaster that has already killed 11 people.

The team will attempt to go back on board on Saturday.

UN extends Lebanon tribunal’s mandate for three years

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UN chief Ban Ki-moon is to grant the Special Tribunal for Lebanon another three years to try those responsible for the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

The tribunal, which was inaugurated in 2009, will continue its work until March 2018, said a UN statement today.

Four Hezbollah members went on trial in absentia before the tribunal a year ago for the 2005 car bombing that killed billionaire Hariri and 22 others, including a suicide bomber.

A fifth suspect, also an alleged Hezbollah member, has been indicted over the crime.

17 soldiers, 1 civilian, killed in southern Libya

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A Libyan army spokesman says armed militants have shot and killed 17 soldiers and one civilian at a checkpoint.

Mohammed Hegazi told The Associated Press that the attack occurred yesterday in the central district of Jufra. He blamed the attacks on “terrorists roaming the desert areas freely.”

Widespread militia violence has plunged Libya into chaos less than four years after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

IS seizes dozens in northern Iraq

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The Islamic State jihadist group seized dozens of men from two villages in northern Iraq while searching for people who burned its flag, officials and residents have said.

An intelligence officer yesterday said that a total of 170 men were taken from the villages of Al-Shajara and Gharib in Kirkuk province, after two IS flags were burned in the area, an account confirmed by other officials from the province.

2 firefighters killed in warehouse collapse in China

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At least two firefighters were killed and 11 others injured in a warehouse collapse while trying to put out a fire in China’s northeast Heilongjiang Province.

The fire burnt down the third floor of a warehouse at the Beifangnanxun ceramics market in Harbin city at about 10 pm last night, burying the firemen on the second floor.

The 11 injured firemen were rushed to hospital. The condition of three of them was stated to be critical.

At least one fire fighter remained buried at the collapse site, Song Xibin, the city mayor was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.

I don’t need a rich husband to be successful: Rosie

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Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley says she does not need a rich husband in order to be successful.

Huntington-Whiteley, 27, said she prefers to make her own success, reported Elle magazine.

“That’s never been it for me,” Huntington-Whiteley said of marrying a wealthy man.

“I’m an ambitious girl. I love to work, and it makes me feel good. I like to make something of my own. It’s a huge opportunity, so it’s like: ‘What can I build from this for when I don’t want the limelight anymore?'” she said.

Idina Menzel responds to critics over ‘Frozen’ performance

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Idina Menzel has defended her less than spectacular performance of ‘Frozen’ song ‘Let It Go’ at Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

The singer, 43, started trending on Twitter with many users criticising her for not hitting the high notes right of the popular song while others defended the singer considering that she was live performing in a cold climate.

On her part, Menzel advised the critics to let it go.

Italy migrant ‘ghost ship’ arrives in port

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A ship abandoned by its crew and left drifting with 450 migrants on board has reached Italy’s jagged southern coast, ending the second gruelling “ghost ship” rescue operation this week.

Women and children were among hundreds of migrants left stranded aboard the Ezadeen, which docked in the port of Corigliano Calabro around 11 pm (local time) after a delicate operation by the Italian navy to take control of the boat.

Victoria Beckham gets manicures with Harper

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Victoria Beckham has confessed that she loves getting her nails done with her three-year-old daughter Harper.

The former Spice Girl turned fashion designer has revealed she often enjoys pampering sessions with her and husband David Beckham’s youngest child, reported Vogue magazine.

“I’m very girly and I love nails. Harper and I will often have nail afternoons and when we’re in LA, we even send our dog to a nail spa called The Beauty Spot for a paw-pedicure,” she said.

Nikki Reed’s divorce finalised

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Actress Nikki Reed’s divorce from American Idol star Paul McDonald has been finalised.

The ‘Twilight’ star has kept the couple’s dog, a German Shepherd called Enzo, three of their homes and three cars – a Range Rover, a Toyota Rav4 and a Toyota Tundra, reported TMZ.

Documents of the final judgement, show that McDonald was granted ownership of the pair’s home in Nashville, Tennessee.

Neither Reed, 26, nor McDonald is claiming any spousal support.

Reed is currently dating ‘Vampire Diaries’ actor Ian Somerhader.

JLo’s documentary reveals her pain, sadness during divorce

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Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez’s documentary has revealed that she craves for a healthy and lasting marriage.

The mother of two, who divorced Marc Anthony after seven years of marriage, is seen experiencing pure pain when separating and divorcing from him, reported E!Online.

“That wasn’t my dream. My dream was for us to always be together. You never want to break up family,” she said in the documentary.

The split was extra difficult to her because her twins, Max and Emme, were traveling with her during her first world tour.