Politics

South Asia Newsline - Jan 23, 2015

Jan 24, 2015

Dancing cop becomes a rock star like figure among riders in Indore

Indore, Jan 24 (ANI): Moving his feet and hands in sync with the fast moving lights on a busy intersection, a traffic cop in Madhya Pradesh has virtually become a traffic stopper. Unlike his colleagues, Ranjit Singh is a rock star for his fans who are thrilled with his dancing skills with which he controls the maddening crowd and unruly drivers. Singh is constantly on the move at the busiest cross-section at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Indore as he moonwalks from one corner to another to ensure smooth ply of traffic. Synchronising his moves with the timings of traffic signals is what sets Singh apart from other traffic policemen. Singh's moves have started paying off. He said there is a visible improvement in the traffic sense of the locals. He has become a role-model for drivers and pedestrians alike. Singh has been felicitated by authorities for his unique style of disciplining the roads and the chaotic traffic, having received a total of 46 awards so far.

Jan 24, 2015

Residents expect Obama to speak on Kashmir issue while on his visit to India

Srinagar, Jan 24 (ANI): Residents of Jammu and Kashmir expected US President Barack Obama to speak about Kashmir issue and help improve relations between India and Pakistan. Obama will arrive in India on Sunday for the second time during his tenure, to build on what he calls one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. He was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will be the first US President to attend Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26. Meanwhile, residents of the valley said that Obama could set a peaceful mood between India and Pakistan. Militants have been targeting security bases in Kashmir since 1990s, when there was a full-blown insurgency against Indian rule in a region over which India and Pakistan fought two of their three.

Jan 24, 2015

Bhopal gas victims urge US President Obama for justice ahead of his India visit

Bhopal, Jan 24 (ANI): Victims of 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, world's worst industrial disaster, called upon US President Barack Obama to ensure justice for survivors by directing Dow Chemicals to appear for hearings and clean toxic waste. In the early hours of December 3, 1984, around 40 tons of methyl isocyanate gas accidentally leaked from a pesticide factory owned by US multinational Union Carbide Corp. and was carried by the wind into the surrounding slums. Social activist Satinath Sarangi said they have called upon Obama and demanded extradition of John Macdonald, secretary of Union Carbide. Obama will arrive in India on Sunday for the second time during his tenure, to build on what he calls one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.

Jan 24, 2015

Bolivians celebrate as Morales sworn in for third term

Civil and military parades celebrate Bolivian President Evo Morale's swearing in for a third term. Duration: 01:09

Jan 24, 2015

Amnesty remains worried on human rights after Saudi King death

The Secretary General of Amnesty International says in Davos, that the death of Saudi Arabia's King was not a surprise and that Amesty remains concerned with "the complete lack of basic human rights in that country." Duration: 00:58

Jan 24, 2015

Lingering stigma of the Holocaust in Poland 70 years on

Seventy years after the liberation of the Nazi German extermination camp, survivors are mobilising to protect the memory of the Holocaust. Duration: 02:52

Jan 24, 2015

Amnesty leads protest against flogging of Saudi blogger

Rights group Amnesty International leads a protest in Paris against the sentencing of blogger Raef Badawi to flogging, a case that has sparked international criticism. Duration: 00:58

Jan 24, 2015

DRC opposition calls for people to unite against Kabila

Senators in the Democratic Republic of Congo delayed a vote on hotly contested legislation that would extend President Joseph Kabila's rule, following days of deadly clashes between protesters and police. Duration: 00:50

Jan 24, 2015

Myanmar protesters march for 'murdered' teachers

Human rights activists call for justice for two young teachers who they allege were murdered by soldiers in northern Myanmar. Duration: 00:45

Jan 24, 2015

Iraqs displaced Yazidis hunker down for winter

Last summer, tens of thousands of Yazidis faced searing heat as they fled a murderous jihadist onslaught in northern Iraq, but many survivors are now shivering in the snow. Duration: 00:58

Jan 24, 2015

French PM visits school after secularity measures introduced

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem visit an agricultural secondary school a day after government proposals were unveiled to combat radical Islam in the classroom. Duration: 01:31

Jan 24, 2015

Soweto looting spree sends foreign shopkeepers fleeing

An outbreak of pillaging began in Soweto after a foreign shopkeeper shot dead a teenager who allegedly tried to rob him, and spread to other townships west of Johannesburg. Duration: 01:16

Jan 24, 2015

Saudi citizens pledge allegiance to their new king

Saudi Arabia's new King Salman vowed Friday to keep his oil-rich, conservative Muslim kingdom on a steady course and moved to cement his hold on power following his half-brother King Abdullah's death. Duration: 00:36

Jan 24, 2015

Police say woman carried bomb that killed two in Arrah

Patna/Arrah, Jan 23 (ANI): Police on Friday said a woman carried the bomb that led to two deaths, including hers and injured many in Arrah city of Bihar. A crude bomb exploded outside a courtroom in Bihar on Friday, killing two people and wounding ten, just days before Republic Day ceremonies that have been attacked in the past in troubled parts of the country. The blast occurred in Arrah town in Bihar, parts of which have been racked by a Maoist insurgency. Both the dead were women, including a police constable. The Additional Director General of Bihar Police, Gupteshwar Pandey, said the site had been sealed off and investigation has been launched. Two criminals being brought to the court escaped in the mayhem.

Jan 23, 2015