Politics

Homes lost as bushfire rages out of control in Australia

An intense bushfire razed at least five homes in South Australia Saturday, with more devastation feared as firefighters struggle to contain the worst blaze in decades that is raging out of control. Duration: 00:38

Jan 3, 2015

Rescue teams continue search for victims of doomed AirAsia plane

Recovery teams continue search for victims of AirAsia Flight 8501, which crashed into the sea last weekend with 162 people on board. Duration: 00:46

Jan 3, 2015

Paris to order more Reaper drones to monitor jihadists

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the purchase of three new drones to help local forces monitor jihadists operating across the Sahel. Le Drian was speaking during a visit to troops stationed in Chad and Niger. Duration: 00:39

Jan 3, 2015

PM Modi calls debate, dialogue most essential aspects of democracy part - 2

Kohlapur, Jan 03 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the celebrations to mark 75th anniversary of local Marathi daily 'Pudhari' on Saturday, said that debate and dialogue are the two most essential aspects in a democracy. Furthermore, he lauded the media for taking up the responsibility of informing people. The Prime Minister is in Kohlapur to mark the celebrations to mark 75th anniversary of local Marathi daily ' Pudhari.' The programme was organised at Police Parade ground. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minster Suresh Prabhu were present on the occasion.

Jan 3, 2015

Maoist blast in Jharkhand injures two security personnel

Raipur, Jan 03 (ANI): An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh injured two constables of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Saturday. The blast took place at 8 am when a CoBRA (Compact Battalion for Resolute Action) contingent unit was conducting regular operations in Chintagufa area of Sukma district. The two injured were brought to a hospital in Raipur. The Maoists, also known as Naxals in India, say they are fighting for the rights of poor farmers and landless labourers.

Jan 3, 2015

Fifty Hindu couples tie nuptial knot at mass wedding in Pakistan

Karachi, Jan 03 (ANI): As many as fifty Hindu couples tied nuptial knot at a mass wedding ceremony in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi. Donned in traditional wedding garments, the couples arrived for their big day as several hundred Hindu families gathered to attend the wedding ceremony held at the YMCA Ground in the city. The mass ceremony was organized by a non-governmental organisation, the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), for the couples who could not afford their marriage expenses. They tied the nuptial knot with the assistance of the community. Groom, Anil Kumar from Karachi, said he chose to get married in a mass wedding because his family was poor. Bride Usha Bai said her poor parents had to marry off three of her sisters earlier and they had been unable to afford her wedding expenses. Groom Prem Jee, who hailed from Sukkur town in the interior of Sindh, was delighted for him and others getting married.

Jan 3, 2015

PM Modi calls debate, dialogue most essential aspects of democracy part -1

Kohlapur, Jan 03 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended the celebrations to mark 75th anniversary of local Marathi daily 'Pudhari' on Saturday, said that debate and dialogue are the two most essential aspects in a democracy. Furthermore, he lauded the media for taking up the responsibility of informing people. The Prime Minister is in Kohlapur to mark the celebrations to mark 75th anniversary of local Marathi daily ' Pudhari.' The programme was organised at Police Parade ground. Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minster Suresh Prabhu were present on the occasion.

Jan 3, 2015

Markets in Rajkot flooded with Modi-Obama kites

Rajkot, Jan 03 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama will fly high in the sky during the upcoming International Kite Festival (Uttarayan) in Gujarat as Modi-Obama kites are a hit amongst customers. The kite festival which marks the end of winter will start on January 10 and will culminate on January 13. The shops in Rajkot are loaded with kites of all the types but the customers are seen going after the one with Modi printed on them. A kite seller, Ravi Tak, said that the demands of Modi kites are increasing every year. US President Barack Obama will attend Republic Day celebrations in January as chief guest, a sign of steadily expanding ties between two countries that share concerns about China's growing power in Asia.

Jan 3, 2015

Protest demanding Kamaruzzaman's quick execution erupts in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Jan 03 (ANI): A mass demonstration was held in Dhaka demanding life sentence for war criminals. The slogan-shouting protesters, under the banner of Resurgent Platform, demanded immediate execution of leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, convicted of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation war of Bangladesh, along with other war criminals. The protesters shouted slogans against the government for dilly-dallying with the execution of Kamaruzzaman and other war criminals. Meanwhile, the protesters said the commoners would take to the streets and intensify their protest if war criminals escaped the law.

Jan 3, 2015

Four civilians injured in cross-border firing hospitalized in Kashmir

Jammu/Ramgarh, Jan 03 (ANI): Four civilians, who were injured in shelling from across the border in Kashmir, were admitted to a government hospital in Jammu on Saturday (January 03). The injured belonged to Ramgarh and Hiranagar towns of Jammu region.Mohammad Hussain, a villager, said the firing hasn't stopped from more than twelve hours. In the fresh assault, Pakistani Rangers targeted several Indian paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) posts in Ramgarh town of Jammu district early Saturday. Barota camp in Ramgarh sector also came under heavy mortar fire. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Jammu Medical College and Hospital, RR Pal, said the condition of the injured was stable. An Indian soldier was killed on New Year eve when Pakistani Rangers opened fire in Samba district.

Jan 3, 2015

Congress wants govt to dig deep into terror attack case

New Delhi, Jan 03 (ANI): The Congress on Saturday urged the government to go deeper into the possible terror attack case which was averted by the Coast Guard and bring out the truth so that Pakistan could be embarrassed internationally. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, however cautioned that the nation cannot afford to lower its guard.Earlier on Friday, a possible terror attack was averted when a suspicious fishing boat carrying explosives in the Arabian Sea was intercepted near the India- Pakistan maritime boundary, approximately 365 kilometres away from Porbander. A statement from the Ministry of Defence said that as per intelligence inputs received on December 31, a fishing boat from Keti Bunder near Karachi was planning some illicit transaction in the Arabian Sea.

Jan 3, 2015

Doomed AirAsia flight schedule 'unauthorised'

The AirAsia plane that crashed last weekend was flying on an unauthorised schedule, according to Indonesia's transport ministry. Officials say not all victims will be autopsied, in order to respect local Indonesian tradition. Duration: 01:28

Jan 3, 2015

Italy migrant 'ghost ship' arrives in port

A ship abandoned by its crew and left drifting with 450 migrants on board reaches Italy's jagged southern coast, ending the second grueling "ghost ship" rescue operation this week. Duration: 00:33

Jan 3, 2015

Palestinians present ICC membership request to UN

The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations on Friday formally requested membership in the International Criminal Court, which would allow them to lodge war crimes complaints against Israel. Duration: 01:10

Jan 3, 2015

Reactions pour in as Japanese tourist allegedly gang raped for 12 days in Gaya

New Delhi, Jan 03 (ANI): Reactions poured in on Saturday after a Japanese tourist was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a Kolkata-based gang for 12 days in Gaya district of Bihar. The accused Zahir and Shahid were arrested by a joint team of Kolkata and Gaya Police. DCW Chairperson Barkha Shukla demanded for strict actions against the culprits. Social Activist Kiran Bedi said that the country is facing the challenge of protecting the tourists from vagabonds. Congress leader Girija Vyas appealed for stricter laws to increase safety of women.

Jan 3, 2015