Page 237 - War Conflict
Boko Haram attacks governor's convoy in Nigeria: security sources
Four people were killed Wednesday in a Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria on a convoy of vehicles carrying the governor of Borno state, security sources said. A civilian militia member said the attack happened near the town of Dikwa as Borno Governor Kashim Shettima was on the campaign trail ahead of nationwide elections on Saturday. "Two soldiers were killed and two other civilians," he told AFP.
Agreements approved with foreign govts in fields of space, tourism, counter-terrorism: Cabinet
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a series of agreements with foreign governments in the field of counter-terrorism, tourism and outer space. The Cabinet approved MoU between India and Morocco for setting up of a joint working group (JWG) on counter-terrorism. Setting up of the JWG would help cases relating to terrorist attacks. The MoU would be the basis for obtaining/ exchanging information on terrorist activities, an official statement said. Another agreement with Finland, relates to cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of outer space. The MoU has already been signed in January here. Two agreements with Argentina and Saudi Arabia were also cleared to promote tourism, the statement said.
Report: At least 20 Guard personnel killed in Iran bombing
A state-run news agency in Iran is reporting a suicide bombing in the country's southeast has killed at least 20 elite Revolutionary Guard personnel and wounded 20. The IRNA news agency reported the toll in the bombing Wednesday in Sistan and Baluchistan province. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The province, which lies on a major opium trafficking route, has seen occasional clashes between Iranian forces and Baluch separatists, as well as drug traffickers.
Hardline Islamists injure dozens in attack on minority Muslims in Bangladesh
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at hundreds of hardline Islamists who attacked minority Muslims in northern Bangladesh, leaving at least 25 people injured, officials said Wednesday. The clashes erupted Tuesday night after days of tensions over a planned convention of the Ahmadi Muslim minority community in the town of Ahmadnagar. Majority Sunni Muslim groups demanded the event be cancelled. Hardline Islamists do not consider the Ahmadis to be Muslim and have called for them to be banned. The 100,000 Ahmadis in Bangladesh have faced repeated attacks and are often barred from establishing mosques. The group is banned in Pakistan. Police said several Sunni groups have been holding protests against the Ahmadis' local convention, scheduled to start in just over a week. "Some 700-800 men wielding sticks and batons marched towards Ahmadnagar and clashed with the Ahmadis," local police chief Abu Akkas said. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to "maintain law and order", he told
Resume talks on nuclear arms treaty with Russia, Gorbachev urges US
Former Soviet leader Mikhail S Gorbachev called on Washington and Moscow to resume nuclear arms talks, warning of dangers of not doing so after President Donald Trump confirmed the USA plan to leave a key Cold War-era treaty.
Armed miscreants loot Rs 1.67 lakh from pvt finance company
Armed miscreants Wednesday looted Rs 1.67 lakh from a private finance company in Bihar's East Champaran district, police said. Chakia Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), Shailendra Kumar said the miscreants looted Rs 1.67 lakh kept in the drawer of the cash counter of the private finance company at gun point. Two miscreants have been identified as per the CCTV footage installed at the finance companys branch at Sahebganj, he said adding that miscreants would be arrested soon.
3 dacoits arrested, stolen goods recovered
Three persons were arrested by police on Wednesday in connection with a robbery in Khallikote in Ganjam district, a police officer said. Several stolen goods, including gold and silver ornaments, which were looted about 13 days ago were also recovered from the accused, said Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Chhatrapur, Ramesh Chandra Sethi. Giving details, he said gold ornaments weighing around 126 gm, 9.5 kg of silver ornaments, about Rs 19,000 in cash, six mobile phones, two motor-cycles and a knife were seized from the accused persons. The accused had looted around 300 gm gold and 13-kg silver ornaments from Rabindra Kumar Nayak of Kanheipur at the gun point at Kandhigaon on February 1, the SDPO added.
Key CPI (Maoist) member, wife surrender before Telangana police
Satwaji, a key member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee, and his wife, Vydugula Aruna alias Neelima, surrendered before the Director General of Police (DGP) of Telangana on Wednesday.Satwaji worked as a courier from 1984 to 1985 under Venu, Adilabad District RSU president and Katakam Sudharsha, the then District Committee Secretary CPI (ML) PWG Adilabad district, according to an official release of the Telangana police.While he was working in the Central Technical Team (CTC) network, he used to transport arms and ammunition from Bengaluru to different areas. During that time, he was introduced to Sadanala Ramakrishna, CTC in-charge, who put him in a den at Gulbarga.In 1986, CTC couriers Tata and Madhu were arrested in Hyderabad. On basis of their information, Hyderabad police arrested Satwaji and seized arms and ammunition from his possession. He was lodged in jail from 1986 to 1989 and later released. Subsequently, he was responsible for planning and orchestrating many raids and .
Top Maoist leader, wife surrender
: A key member of the banned CPI (Maoist) Central Committee surrendered before the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP), M Mahendar Reddy here Wednesday, along with his wife. Sudhakar and his wife decided to give themselves up as they were frustrated with the 'wrong trends' developing in the outfit and also due to their health problems, Reddy told reporters. Sudhakar carries a reward of Rs 1.25 crore on his head in Jharkhand region and Rs 25 lakh in Telangana, while his wife carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh on her head. The DGP said Sudhakar had disclosed that there were internal differences among top leaders and also between leaders of local tribes and Telangana leaders. Sudhakar also revealed that Maoists were ill-treating women cadres and putting them under all sorts of pressure. Due to the domination of the male cadres, some women were committing suicide, he said. Sudhakar also said the functioning of the CPI (Maoist) leadership in Bihar and Jharkhand was totally .
2 Hizbul terrorists killed in encounter in J-K's Budgam
Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including one of the main recruiters of the outfit, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district Wednesday, police said. "Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night (of Tuesday and Wednesday)," a police spokesman said. He said when the search operation was underway, the terrorists fired on the security forces. The search party retaliated and it led to a gunfight in which the two were killed, he added. The spokesperson said the duo have been identified as Hilal Ahmad Wani and Shoaib Mohammad Lone, alias Mursi. "Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter," he said, adding that police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. As per police records, the official said, both terrorists were affiliated to proscribed ...
Myanmar students sentenced to hard labour over protest
Seven Myanmar students were sentenced to three months in jail with hard labour for burning portraits of officials in protest over campus safety, a student activist said Wednesday, the latest draconian response to rippling discontent with authorities. Those jailed were among dozens enacting a mock funeral on December 28 calling for more security at a Mandalay university in central Myanmar after a student's murder near its campus. They burned paper coffins and portraits of the city's chief minister, Myanmar's security and home affairs ministers, and the head of the university, calling for increased security around the students' compound. Three people were arrested during the protest and four others were detained a few days later, when they rallied for their peers' release. The seven students were each sentenced to a total of three months in prison with hard labour for protesting without permission and arson, student leader Ei Mon Khin told AFP by phone from the court. "They will be ...
French 'yellow vest' boxer on trial for punching police
A former boxer who became a hero to some of France's "yellow vest" protesters after being filmed punching police officers during a demonstration in Paris goes on trial Wednesday on charges that carry up to seven years in jail. Christophe Dettinger, 37, an ex national light-heavyweight champion, was caught on camera on January 5 throwing a flurry of punches at an officer during clashes on a footbridge over the river Seine near parliament. The footage, which was played repeatedly on TV and social media, also showed the 1.9-metre tall Dettinger kicking another officer on the ground. The scene caused widespread outrage, with the government describing it as a prime example of the violence that has characterised the yellow vest demonstrations since they began in November. One of the injured officers was treated in hospital for his injuries. Dettinger, nicknamed "The Gypsy From Massy" during his days in the ring in reference to the town south of Paris where he began his career, turned ...
WB chit fund scam: Left, Cong in war of words with TMC
Chit fund scams in West Bengal echoed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with Left and Congress members accusing the Trinamool Congress of looting money of investors. Members from the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, were protesting in the Well when the discussion on 'The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018' was taken up. Participating in the discussion, Congress member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Trinamool Congress, which is in power in West Bengal, looted the people of the state. He also said that lakhs of people were looted and that their money should be returned. CPI-M member Mohammed Salim alleged that TMC has come up due to corruption and even remarked that some members of the party in the House should go to jail. On both occasions, members from the BJP, which is engaged in a political slugfest with the TMC over Saradha scam and other issues, were seen thumping their desks. Later, TMC members were seen shouting slogans against ...
Exclusive: Iran-backed groups corner Iraq's postwar scrap metal market - sources
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - The wrecks of vehicles used by Islamic State militants as car bombs and other metal debris left by the war in Iraq are now helping fund their Iran-backed enemies, industry sources say.
US commander seeks sustained engagement with Sri Lanka
A top US commander has advocated sustained American engagement with Sri Lanka despite the political and ethnic turmoil in the island nation posing a challenge to bilateral ties, amid increasing Chinese influence in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson told the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing that US' military-to-military relationship continues to grow with Sri Lanka. "Sri Lanka remains a significant strategic opportunity in the Indian Ocean, and our military-to-military relationship continues to strengthen. The political turmoil and ethnic tension between the Tamil and Sinhalese populations, however, remain drivers of instability and potential obstacles to continued growth in our partnership," Davidson said. Sri Lanka has handed over the deep water port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease due to its mounting debts to China, which has caused international concern, he said. Despite the .
Afghans mourn former president at palace ceremony
Afghans are mourning the country's first post-communist president, Sibghatullah Mujadidi, at a palace ceremony attended by his former comrades-in-arms, including his one-time spokesman and protege, former President Hamid Karzai. The ceremony Wednesday at Afghanistan's presidential palace was a solemn affair, with Mujadidi's coffin draped in a giant green shawl emblazoned with versus from the Quran, Islam's holy book, and later the Afghan flag. Mujadidi died early Tuesday. President Ashraf Ghani extolled Mujadidi's contributions to evicting Soviet forces from Afghanistan in the 1980s, saying "his death has saddened the entire nation." Mujadidi was the first president following the withdrawal of Soviet troops and the 1992 collapse of Kabul's pro-communist government. A second service is to be held later Wednesday in Kabul's sports stadium for the general public.
2 militants killed in encounter in J-K's Budgam district
Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday, police said. Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was also recovered from the encounter site. "Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in the Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night (of Tuesday and Wednesday)," a police spokesman said. He said when the search operation was underway, the militants fired on the security forces. The search party retaliated and it led to a gunfight in which the two militants were killed, the spokesman said. The identities and affiliations of the militants are being ascertained, he added. "Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter," the spokesman said. Police have registered a case and initiated investigation into the matter, he said.
Pentagon seeks sustained engagement with Sri Lanka
Amid the increasing Chinese influence over the strategically important Indo-Pacific region, a top Pentagon commander has advocated sustained US engagement with Sri Lanka, despite the political and ethnic turmoil in the island nation, posing a challenge to their ties. Sri Lanka remains a significant strategic opportunity in the Indian Ocean, and our military-to-military relationship continues to strengthen," US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson told the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing. "The political turmoil and ethnic tension between the Tamil and Sinhalese populations, however, remain drivers of instability and potential obstacles to continued growth in our partnership, he deposed. Moreover, Sri Lanka has handed over the deep water port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease due to its mounting debts to China, which has caused international concern, he said. Despite the political upheaval, it is in America's interests to continue ...
2 terrorists killed in Budgam encounter
Two terrorists were killed on Tuesday in a gun-battle with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam.Identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists are being ascertained.Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Gopalpora area of Chadoora in Budgam district, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night jointly by Police and security forces. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.The police has advised citizens not to venture inside encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People have also been requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any.
Libya committed to resuming El Sharara output once safety is assured: NOC
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's state oil firm NOC is committed to a swift resumption of oil output at the El Sharara oilfield, but only after its workers' safety is assured, it said on Tuesday.