Common Links

IS militants bomb homes of military and police in Iraq

Baghdad, Dec 12 (IANS/EFE) Islamic State (IS) militants blew up the homes of Iraqi military and police personnel as well as members of the Shabak religious minority Thursday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. A spokesman for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Mosul, Saeed Mamozeini, told EFE that a total of 17 houses were demolished with explosives in a district located south of the city which was previously inhabited by members of the security forces. The jihadis also destroyed three homes of the ethnic Shabak group in an area of eastern Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province.

12 hurt in clash between Congress, Trinamool student activists

Kolkata, Dec 11 (IANS) At least 12 people were injured Thursday after a clash broke out between activists of the student wings of the Trinamool Congress and the Congress at the Berhampore College in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, police said. AAccording to police, members of Congress' Chattra Parishad and the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad clashed with dozens of activists attacking each others with batons and bamboo sticks

Pleasant Thursday in Delhi, Friday could see rain

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) It was a pleasant Thursday in the national capital with the maximum temperature recorded 22.8 degrees Celsius, average for the season. The Met has forecast a cloudy Friday with light rain in the evening. "Friday will cloudy and light rain may occur in the some parts of the capital late in the evening," said an official of the India Meteorological Department(IMD).

Dilip Kumar turns 92, B-Town icons recollect his best

Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS) On Dilip Kumar's 92nd birthday Thursday, a host of Bollywood icons, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan and songstress Lata Mangeshkar, as well as his wife Saira Banu went down memory lane to pick their favourite among the veteran actor's popular filmography.

Two more states ban Uber; rape accused driver in judicial custody (Roundup)

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Radio taxi company Uber's woes mounted Thursday as Karnataka and Maharashtra banned the US-based company in their states while a court in the capital sent the cab driver, accused of raping a 25-year-old woman, to 14 days' judicial custody. While the Karnataka government banned Uber and three other cab operators from plying taxis in state capital Bengaluru from Friday, Maharashtra said it will follow the advisory given by Home Minister Rajnath Singh

UN envoy stresses on acceleration of Gaza's reconstruction

United Nations, Dec 12 (IANS) The UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, visited Gaza Thursday and stressed the environment for the reconstruction of the Strip need to improve. During the visit, Serry said that "by the end of this month, more than 20,000 homeowners are expected to be able to procure construction material for urgent repairs of their dwellings." The UN official stressed that "this can only be the beginning of an effective process to rebuild Gaza and much more needs to be done," Xinhua quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying. "Unfortunately the operating environment continues to face many challenges, including a fragile and informal ceasefire which has not yet solidified, and a lack of empowerment of the government of National Consensus in Gaza, with no control over the crossings," the spokesman said

Fake Maharashtra Police officials held in Punjab

Chandigarh, Dec 11 (IANS) Two people who were posing as Maharashtra Police officials were arrested in Punjab's Batala Thursday along with their driver, police said. The arrest was made in Batala police division of north Punjab, 250 km from here.

Priyanka calls Bipasha a 'nightmare'

Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra is impressed by Bipasha Basu's 'nightmarish' act in the trailer of "Alone", and says she'll definitely watch the forthcoming horror film.

West Bengal school to dedicate Christmas carnival to WW-I Indian troops

Kolkata, Dec 11 (IANS) A school in West Bengal will celebrate Christmas in a different manner this year by dedicating the festival to Indian soldiers who fought in the First World War. The Methodist School at Dankuni in Hooghly district will highlight the sacrifices and devotion of the soldiers through cultural programmes during their Dec 19 Christmas carnival, which will commemorate the theme 'Peace on Earth'.

Jihadis from Australia suffered casualties in Syria and Iraq

Melbourne, Dec 12 (IANS) Australia's national security intelligence service said Thursday extremists from Australia who came in Syria and Iraq to fight for various exstrimist groups suffered heavy casualties during battles. "The overall number of Australians currently fighting with or supporting Islamic extremist groups in Syria and Iraq has remained consistent over recent months," Secret Intelligence Organization (ASIO) Deputy Director-General Kerri Hartland was quoted as saying by the local Fairfax Media. According to her, at least 20 Australians have been killed in the Middle East but more people are going and the rates of arrivals and deaths are about the same, Xinhua reported.