Politics

Indira Gandhi's legacy 'good and bad' 30 years on

Indira Gandhi's impact on Indian history is both "good and bad", says her biographer, 30 years after she was gunned down by her bodyguards. Duration: 01:18

Oct 30, 2014

East Ukraine's rebels prepare for a long cold war

As winter approaches in Ukraine's eastern countryside, pro-Russian rebels and Kiev forces eye each other uneasily across a ragged frontline. Despite signing a truce, both seem to be digging in for the long haul. Duration: 00:41

Oct 30, 2014

Sri Lanka landslide survivors take refuge in relief camp

Survivors of a landslide at a tea plantation in central Sri Lanka wait for news at temporary shelters as soldiers using heavy diggers step up their desperate search for some 100 victims feared to have been buried alive. Duration: 00:33

Oct 30, 2014

Hopes fade for survivors in Sri Lanka landslide as death toll rises to over 100

Sri Lanka, Oct 30 (ANI): Hopes of finding survivors under the mud and rubble of a landslide in south-central Sri Lanka had run out by first light on Thursday, though a government minister cut the estimated death toll to more than 100 from 300 the previous night. The landslide, which stretched 3 km, engulfed the tea-plantation village of Haldummulla, 190 km from the capital Colombo on Wednesday (October 29) after months of heavy monsoon rain. Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that he did not think there could be any survivors, but revised the estimated death toll to 192 from 300 the previous evening. The centre said 150 houses were buried in the landslide. At the disaster site, hundreds of soldiers and government officials resumed search and clearing operations, using three earth-moving machines that rumbled amid broken trees, blocks of concrete, tin roofing and muddied clothes.

Oct 30, 2014

Bangladesh observes 24-hour shutdown in protest of death sentence to Jamaat-e-Islami Chief

Dhaka, Oct 30 (ANI): Dhaka observed a 24-hour general strike on Thursday protesting against the death sentence awarded to the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party chief, Motiur Rahman Nizami, by the Bangladesh war crimes tribunal, as supporters of Jamaat said the government had used the tribunal to weaken its political opponents. However, supporters of Bangladesh's ruling Awami league said they will not allow the call for shut down to be successful. Students of Dhaka University staged a protest and shouted slogans against Jamaat-e-Islami and said Nizami must pay for the war crimes committed by him. Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced the chief of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party to death on Wednesday for crimes against humanity, including genocide, torture and rape, during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

Oct 30, 2014

Pakistan's coastal belt prepares for cyclone Nilofar

Karachi, Oct 30 (ANI): Administration in Pakistan's southern port city Karachi on Thursday continued to make necessary arrangements to cope with cyclone Nilofar in the Arabian sea, which is expected to bring widespread rains accompanied by strong gusty winds late on Thursday and Friday. While several meteorologists are certain that the cyclone will not hit Pakistan directly, they believe that some parts of Balochistan and lower Sindh will be in the periphery of the tropical storm. The coastal belt of Sindh has been closed till November 02 and any gatherings on beaches have been barred as a precautionary measure on the coastal belt of Karachi, Thatta, Sajawal and Badin. Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority has told officials to prepare to evacuate villages along the coast and close beachside restaurants. But many villagers refuse to leave their homes.

Oct 30, 2014

Mexican president meets with kin of 43 missing students

President Enrique Pena Nieto meets for the first time with families of 43 students who went missing over a month ago in violence involving police and drug gang hitmen. Duration: 01:37

Oct 30, 2014

Traders take to the water to avoid Central Africa unrest

Following a spike of deadly violence in Central African Republic, many of the transport links with the north of the country have been disrupted, meaning goods and cattle are increasingly being transported by river. Duration: 00:36

Oct 30, 2014

Clashes between Israeli police and protester in East Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered a "significant increase" in police deployments in Jerusalem following an assassination attempt on a Jewish ultranationalist. Duration: 00:40

Oct 30, 2014

China 'vulnerable' to Ebola outbreak: expert

China is vulnerable to the deadly Ebola outbreak due to the soaring number of Chinese working in Africa and poor infection control at home, a co-discoverer of the virus warns. Duration: 01:11

Oct 30, 2014

Modi govt announces Rs 5 lakh additional compensation to kin of 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims

New Delhi, Oct 30 (ANI): In a significant move, Narendra Modi headed government on Thursday announced additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh to kin of 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims. Over 3,000 victims of the 1984 violence, triggered by the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, are likely to benefit from the government's announcement. This announcement comes a day ahead of the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Sikh riots. The order was passed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who took the decision after a high-level meeting where the issue of compensation to civilian victims of communal, terrorist or Naxal violence was discussed.

Oct 30, 2014

Politicos urge govt to take action as Lankan court awards death penalty to five Indian fishermen

New Delhi/ Chennai, Oct 30 (ANI): Politicos on Thursday urged the Indian government to take quick action after a Sri Lankan court awarded death penalty to five Tamil fishermen. The fishermen have been given death penalty for drug smuggling reportedly. Earlier in the day, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin had stated that the Indian government feels the fishermen are innocent and a legal process will be followed by the Indian government through the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka to appeal against this judgement.

Oct 30, 2014

Kerala HC upholds ban on Liquor, at least 700 bars to be shut

Kochi, Oct 30 (ANI): Kerala High court on Thursday upheld the state government's ban on liquor in the state. The state government had earlier put a ban on bars serving liquor in the state and has said that only bars in four and five star hotels would still be permitted to function, effectively sealing the fate of at least 700 bars in the state for now. Through the abkari policy, the state government had limited sale of liquor to five-star bar hotels and government-run retail outlets. Bar owners in Kerala had earlier approached the court challenging the government's decision to close over 700 bar hotels in the state, maintaining that it was discriminatory.

Oct 30, 2014

SC tightens grip on Bihar and Chhattisgarh govt over missing children case

New Delhi, Oct 30 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up Bihar and Chhattisgarh government for not registering FIRs in connection of cases related to missing children. The court was not satisfied by the filed affidavit and asked Bihar government to submit fresh affidavit by 13 November. The SC also asked Chhattisgarh government to file a fresh affidavit by November 13 as the data filed by government in the apex court has difference with a data surfaced in a reply to question in the Rajya Sabha earlier. The SC had also summoned chief secretaries and DGPs of Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

Oct 30, 2014

Manish Tewari slams NDA govt move to transfer Mayaram yet again

New Delhi, Oct 30 (ANI): Congress leader Manish Tewari on Thursday dubbed the government's move to transfer Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram within a fortnight as an exalted example of administrative tyranny, and said that it is a means to terrify officers. Mayaram, who has been transferred yet again, will now join the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and not the Ministry of Tourism. The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has decided to cancel its previous order dated October 15 for shifting Mayaram to the Tourism Ministry from the Finance Ministry.

Oct 30, 2014