US Secretary of State John Kerry will stay in negotiations with Iran and his counterparts until at least tomorrow morning, as they seek to reach a deal on the Iranian nuclear programme.
“We continue to make progress, but have not reached a political understanding. Therefore, Secretary Kerry will remain in Lausanne until at least Thursday morning to continue the negotiations,” State Department acting spokeswoman Marie Harf said.
Iraqi forces which retook Tikrit from the Islamic State group found burial sites today believed to hold victims of a June massacre in which hundreds of army cadets were executed.
The Speicher massacre — named after the nearby base from which the mostly Shiite recruits were abducted — stoked widespread anger against IS and helped rally support to battle the jihadists.
Interior Minister Mohammed al-Ghaban told AFP that a burial site had been discovered in a freshly-retaken palace complex on the banks of the Tigris river.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged global powers today to “seize” the moment to reach what could be a historic deal to cut back Iran’s nuclear programme.
“Iran has shown its readiness to engage with dignity and it’s time for our negotiating partners to seize the moment and use this opportunity which may not be repeated,” Zarif said, after meeting alone with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
He was speaking as exhausting, marathon talks again went into the evening on the seventh of negotiations in a luxury lakeside hotel in the Swiss city of Lausanne.
Pro-government militiamen were seen looting shops in the centre of the Iraqi city of Tikrit on today after retaking it from the Islamic State jihadist group in a month-long battle.
The militiamen took items including clothing, shampoo and shaving cream from two shops in central Tikrit before driving away, witnesses said.
Two trucks were also seen leaving Tikrit loaded with new tyres, a generator and a mirror that fell out and shattered on the highway.
The localised incidents follow concerns over the conduct of the myriad militiamen now in the city.
Iraq vowed today to reclaim the entire country from jihadists after retaking the city of Tikrit in its biggest success yet in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Speaking from a newly-recaptured area of central Tikrit after a month-long operation, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the government was “determined to liberate every inch of Iraqi land”.
But Tikrit is far from secure, with various officials saying that IS militants were still present in the city, while bomb-rigged houses and buildings also pose a major threat.
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme headed for double overtime today, beset by competing claims and recriminations after differences forced diplomats to abandon their March 31 deadline for the outline of a deal.
US Secretary of State John Kerry postponed his departure from the talks in the Swiss town of Lausanne for a second time and will remain until at least tomorrow morning to continue negotiations, the State Department said.
Pakistan faces an unenviable dilemma — whether to join a Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen or stay out and risk angering its old ally which provides it with huge financial support.
Pakistan, currently the Islamic world’s only nuclear power, has provided military aid and expertise to the Gulf kingdom for decades and enjoyed cheap oil and massive financial help in return.
Gulf countries are locked in tough negotiations with Russia on a UN draft resolution to impose an arms embargo and sanctions on Yemen, diplomats said today.
The resolution would seek to re-launch a political dialogue that broke down after Yemen’s Shiite Huthi rebels pressed ahead with an offensive, forcing President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia.
Three foreign tourists two Austrians and an Italian have died in an avalanche in the French Alps, and a fourth tourist has been taken by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble with unspecified injuries.
Hautes-Alpes department officials said that the snow slide took place mid-afternoon today in the Ecrins massif, near the town of Briancon, as a group of skiers all non-French nationals were travelling along a mountain.
Centre today submitted in the Madras High Court that the state government should emulate Odisha and bring out a regulation banning motorised vessels and trawlers using mechanised fishing techniques within 20km from the coast, to safeguard olive ridley turtles and their habitat.
Himachal Vidhan sabha today passed Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Courts Employees (pay, allowance and other conditions of services) Amendment Bill, seeking implementation of Shetty Commission recommendations regarding pay scales admissible to subordinate courts’ employees with effect from April 1, 2003.
Speaking on the Bill, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the non-gazetted judicial employees welfare association had filed a petition in Himachal High Court, seeking relief that the recommendations of the First National Judicial Pay Commission (Shetty Pay Commission) be implemented.
A 39-year-old woman was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly killing her second husband who reportedly tried to rape her daughter, police said.
The woman was arrested for killing her 45-year-old husband, a resident of Maruti Palasia colony, last night, Chandan Nagar police station Inspector Vinod Dixit said.
The inspector said the man, last night, allegedly tried to rape his 20-year-old stepdaughter. The enraged woman then killed him with an axe.
The body has been sent for postmortem and further investigation in the case is on.
-_PTI
The CJM court today included Section 120 B under IPC as charge against the two Bangladeshi accused in the 71-year old nun gang rape case at a Ranaghat convent school in Nadia district.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Papia Das in response to the plea of public prosecutor incorporated the section 120 B which entailed Punishment of Criminal Conspiracy.
The criminal conspiracy envisaged whoever is a party to that to commit an offense punishable with death, [imprisonment for life] or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards.
The UN Human Rights Council today unanimously adopted a resolution appealing to international community to provide more active support to African countries fighting Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
The resolution titled ‘Atrocities committed by the terrorist group Boko Haram and its effects on human rights in the affected countries’ was adopted by consensus in a special session at the UNHRC.
One person was arrested for duping a couple of their gold jewelry at New Delhi Railway Station, along with another person who bought the stolen goods, police said today.
A resident of Rajeev Nagar in Gurgaon lodged a complaint with Railway police, that a person whom he had hired for carrying luggage at the station ran away with a bag carrying clothes as well as gold and silver, DCP (Railway) Sanjay Bhatia said.
The incident took place when the victim was going to see off his wife, he said.
The Madras High Court today slammed the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission for poor drafting of recruitment notification.
Allowing two petitions, Justice K K Sasidharan said:”TNPSC alone contributed for the birth of this unwanted litigation. The Commission is an expert body. It should use apt words while drafting notifications. In case proper words are used, and little care is taken, it would be possible to avoid litigations like this.”
Seven-time champion Serena Williams overcame some hard moments to beat Sabine Lisicki of Germany 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-3 on Wednesday for her 700th career victory at the Miami Open, a media report said on Thursday.
The win also earned her a semifinal spot at the prestigious tournament, where she’s the two-time defending champion, reported Xinhua.
The No. 1-seeded American withdrew before the Indian Wells semifinal in March with a right knee injury, but she has won 19 consecutive matches this year.
Scores of agitated lawyers protesting for establishment of a High Court bench in western Uttar Pradesh today assembled at Naya Ghaziabad Railway Station and stopped the Delhi-bound Shalimar Express train.
As the train arrived on the platform, agitated lawyers of Kendriya Sangharsh Samiti climbed over its engine and unfurled their banner on it and shouted slogans.
Police force was deployed in advance at the railway station to ward off any untoward incident.
Aspirants of occupying various posts in corporations and boards need not have to wait for a longer time now. Mr. KCR has started consultations to fill up posts in corporations and boards. Dr. Keshav Rao was given this responsibility of recommending deserving and active TRS workers from districts for their nominations to various posts. It is understood that two minority candidates are likely to be appointed in 6 corporations. Lists of SCs, STs, BCs and Minorities are being prepared with a view to giving representations in various corporations.
Two school students were killed in a scooter accident at Montepadav in Konaje near here on Tuesday night, police said.
The deceased, both aged 14, met with the tragedy when the two-wheeler fell into a ditch, police said, adding, one died on the spot and the other at a hospital.
PTI
Major political parties of Telangana are competing with each other to supersede to win the hearts of Muslims. TRS nominated Mr. Mohammed Mahmood Ali as Dy. CM. Congress Party appointed a minorities leader, Mr. Mohammed Ali Shabbeer as the Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council only to win the hearts of Muslims.
An IAF plane carrying 190 Indian nationals evacuated from Yemen landed here today, in the government’s first major mission to rescue Indians stranded in the strife-torn nation.
The evacuees, which included nurses and workers, among others, reached home in a special flight, thus bringing an end to their about a week-long ordeal.
The Indian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster, carrying them landed at around 3:25 AM at the city’s international airport here.
Senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana State Legislative Council.
The Haj Committee of India, Mumbai has asked all the provisionally selected Haj Pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States to remit the first installment of Haj expenses of Rs 81,000 per person through E-payment or any branch of SBI or the Union Bank of India before April 30.
Mr. Somesh Kumar, Commissioner of GHMC has announced that 5% incentives would be given to the tax payers who remit property tax before the end of this month. It is reported that GHMC has exempted interest on arrears of tax payment which is producing good results.
–Siasat News