Page 285 - War Conflict
Pak army shells forward posts, hamlets along LoC in Poonch
In yet another ceasefire violation, the Pakistan army resorted to firing and mortar shelling on forward posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, a defence official said. Pakistani troops targeted posts in Gulpur and Khadi Karmara in Poonch district, he said. "At about 0900 hours, Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by small arms and heavy caliber weapons besides shelling in Poonch," he said, adding Indian troops retaliated strongly. Pakistan has been increasingly violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement with India. It has resorted to firing and shelling along LoC five times in the past seven days, including on Tuesday. Also, the year 2018 witnessed the highest 2,936 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the past 15 years. During the past one week, Pakistani troops have targeted forward posts in Mankote, Khadi Karmara, Gulpur areas without any causality. Northern Command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh Monday .
Flights resume at Heathrow Airport after brief suspension due to 'drone sighting'
London's Heathrow airport, the busiest aviation hub of Europe, on Tuesday suspended all departing flights for a brief period following reports of a drone sighting, just three weeks after a similar incident at Gatwick airport led to the grounding of about 1,000 flights. The flights were suspended at around 1705 GMT. After about an hour, the flights resumed. The Metropolitan police said at approximately 1705 GMT, it "received reports of a sighting of a drone in the vicinity of Heathrow airport" and as a precautionary measure, the airport stopped all departures. Arriving planes, however, continued to land at the airport. Around 81 airlines serving 204 destinations operate out of Heathrow, located west of London. At 1835 GMT, flights at the airport, which handles 213,668 passengers a day, resumed following the interruption. A Heathrow spokesperson said the airport staff were continuing to monitor the situation. "We continue to work closely with the Met Police to respond to reports of ...
London: Drone sighting interrupts flight operations at Heathrow Airport
Flight operations were suspended at London's Heathrow Airport for a short while following drone sighting on Tuesday (Local Time).The Airport, however, resumed flight operations after the brief interruption.Apologising for the inconvenience, Heathrow airport announced that the departures have been resumed and the airport is working with the Metropolitan Police on the reports of the drone sighting."We continue to work with the Met Police on reports of drones at Heathrow. We are working with Air Traffic Control and the Met Police, and have resumed departures out of Heathrow after a short suspension. We will continue to monitor this and apologise to anyone that were affected," Heathrow airport informed on Twitter.It had earlier twitted about the suspension of operation, informing passengers about the same."Heathrow Airport, London, England: We are responding to a drone sighting at Heathrow and are working closely with the metropolitan police to prevent any threat to operational safety. As
Rajoelina confirmed winner of Madagascar presidential election
Madagascar's Constitutional Court on Tuesday confirmed Andry Rajoelina as the winner of the country's presidential election after his opponent had lodged a complaint alleging that the result was riddled with fraud. "Andry Rajoelina is declared the elected president of the republic," said Judge Jean-Eric Rakotoarisoa, triggering celebrations among Rajoelina supporters gathered in the capital Antananarivo. In the run-off vote on December 19, Rajoelina took 55.7 percent and Marc Ravalomanana won 44.3 per cent, according to the final results. Ravalomanana had complained of widespread fraud and petitioned the Constitutional Court. Last week riot police in the Indian Ocean island used tear gas to break up one of several protests by thousands of Ravalomanana supporters, who claim that the result was rigged. The two rivals, who are both former presidents, were banned from running in the 2013 election as part of an agreement to end recurring crises that have rocked Madagascar since it gained ..
Tripura suspends SMS, mobile Internet for 2 days
The Tripura government on Tuesday suspended mobile Internet and SMS services in the entire state for two days in the apprehension of law and order problem following a clash in West Tripura district. In a notification, the home department said, "Incidents of rioting and arsoning have occurred in some areas in Jirania police station under West Tripura district and photographs of such incidents are being uploaded in the social media which may likely to generate serious law and order situation...." Those photos are likely to be used for transmission of fake information and to prevent this, use of SMS messages and mobile Internet/data services are being prohibited for 48 hours since 3 pm Tuesday, the notification said. At least seven persons were injured, some with gunshot wounds, on Tuesday at Jirania, about 15 km from here, when police and paramilitary jawans resorted to lathicharge and fired in the air to disperse Citizenship Bill protesters. Those injured included a ...
Sudan town holds rally for 'martyrs' killed in protests
Hundreds of protesters on Tuesday staged a "martyrs' rally" in an eastern Sudanese town to honour those killed in anti-government protests last month, witnesses said. Deadly protests have rocked Sudan since December 19, when unrest broke out over a government decision to raise the price of bread. Authorities say at least 19 people including two security personnel have been killed during the demonstrations, but rights group Amnesty International has put the death toll at 37. Six people were killed in Al-Gadaref, an impoverished agricultural town in eastern Sudan, when protests erupted after a government decision to triple the price of bread from one Sudanese pound to three (from about two to six US cents). On Tuesday, protesters staged what organisers said was a "martyrs' rally" to mark the deaths in Al-Gadaref. The main market was shut as demonstrators gathered in the downtown area, chanting slogans such as "Peace, justice, freedom" and "Revolution is the choice of the ...
Germany returns Nazi-looted painting to French Jewish collector's heirs
Germany on Tuesday returned a painting looted by the Nazis to the heirs of French Jewish politician and resistance leader Georges Mandel. The portrait of a seated woman by 19th century French painter Thomas Couture had been on display in a spectacular collection hoarded by Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of a Nazi-era art dealer. German Culture Minister Monika Gruetters presented the work to family members of Mandel, executed by French fascists near Paris in 1944, in a ceremony at the Martin Gropius Bau museum in Berlin. Experts determined two years ago that the painting had been looted from Mandel, relying on a small hole in the canvas as evidence of its provenance. Mandel's lover had cited the hole above the seated woman's torso when she reported the painting stolen after the war. Gruetters was joined in the ceremony by a representative of the Kunstmuseum Bern, which inherited Gurlitt's collection when he died in 2014, and an envoy from the French embassy. About 450 pieces from the ...
Gunmen kill 10 civilians, children, in east DR Congo
Ten civilians including children and relatives of soldiers were killed overnight in a raid by armed men in restive eastern DR Congo, officials said Tuesday. "There was an incursion yesterday (Monday) around 23:00... in the village of Mavivi" north of Beni, local administrator Donat Kasereka Kibwana told AFP. "They killed eight people and injured three others, of whom two later died," he said. The victims were felled by gunfire and machetes wielded by the attackers who also looted chickens and goats just 300 metres (yards) from a UN base. Five children under 10 were among the victims, a civilian representative said. For its part, the MONUSCO peacekeeping force said it had intervened to halt the attack, "rescued three wounded and... a baby." Police also put the death toll at 10, while a civil society representative and an observer said 11 civilians were killed. The Beni region has been the target of attacks since October 2014 by the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a shadowy ...
Suicide car bombing kills 2 in Iraq
At least two security members were killed and six others were wounded on Tuesday in a suicide car bomb attack in Iraq's Tikrit city, officials said.
Bharat Dynamics bags order worth Rs 760 cr from Indian Army
For supply of missiles and launchers
Bharat Dynamics to make missiles, launchers for army
: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) Tuesday said it has signed a contract worth Rs 760 crore with the Indian army for production and supply of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and Launchers. The contract was signed by director (production) of BDL V Gurudatta Prasad in Delhi, a press release said. The missiles and launchers would be manufactured under continued technical collaboration with Russia at the Bhanur unit of BDL here, the release added.
Citizenship Bill stir: Seven injured in clashes in Tripura
At least seven persons were injured, some with gunshot wounds, on Tuesday in West Tripura district, about 15 km from here, when police and paramilitary jawans resorted to lathicharge and opened fire in the air to disperse Citizenship Bill protesters. Those injured included a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel and six Twipra Student Federation (TSF) members who blocked the Assam-Agartala National Highway at Madhabbari in Jirania police station area of the district to oppose the Bill, a senior police officer said. NESO, a joint platform of eight student organisations, including the TSF, called for 11-hour Northeast bandh to protest against the move of the central government to introduce Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament. The bill that seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangaldesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. After several failed attempts to convince the protesters to withdraw the blockade on the ...
Terrorist shot dead in Pulwama
One terrorist was shot dead in a fierce encounter with security forces in Pulwama district on Tuesday, officials said.The shootout broke out at the Chowdhry Bagh area of Litter tehsil after terrorists ambushed an army patrol.The security officials recovered heavy incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, from the spot.The area was cordoned off for search and combing operation.Earlier on Friday, a civilian was shot at by a terrorist in Pulwama district. The injured was later shifted to the hospital for medical treatment.
Nazi looted painting returned to Jewish heirs in Germany
Officials have returned a painting looted by the Nazis to heirs of a Jewish French politician and resistance figure who was executed during World War II. "Portrait of a Seated Young Woman" by Thomas Couture, which belonged to Georges Mandel, was discovered in late collector Cornelius Gurlitt's art trove while German authorities were investigating a tax case in 2012. The reclusive Bavarian collector inherited the 1,500-piece collection from his father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, an art dealer who traded in works confiscated by the Nazis. Many are thought to have been looted from their original Jewish owners, but provenance research has been slow and only a handful has been restituted. Culture Minister Monika Gruetters pledged at Tuesday's handover to Mandel's relatives to do everything possible to return stolen art to rightful owners.
Workers, police clash at Daikin's Neemrana factory, several injured
Clashes broke out at the manufacturing unit of Japanese air conditioner maker Diakin in Rajasthan's Neemrana when protesting workers, supporting the two-day nationwide strike, tried to enter the premises and hoist an union flag, police said. As many as 22 policemen were injured after the workers allegedly threw stones. Police also lobbed 35 tear gas shells and resorted to cane charging. Union leaders claimed about 50 workers were injured in the police action. The incident happened when 700 to 800 workers tried entering the company's premises, additional superintendent of police Manish Tripathi said, adding that they had to use tear gas shells and force to disperse the gathering. Tripathi said a case would be registered and the ones involved were yet to be identified. Two of the injured workers were critical and have been sent to Jaipur for treatment, state secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) Bhawar Singh Shekhawat said. CITU leader Anil Yadav alleged that the company had .
Miscreants break ATM in Ambala city, decamp with Rs 19 lakh cash
Unidentified persons broke an ATM in the city here Tuesday and decamped with Rs 19 lakh cash, officials said. "The State Bank of India ATM machine, located on Court Main Road, was looted in the morning. Unidentified persons caught hold of the security guard (on night shift) and made him smell a chemical, after which the guard fell unconscious. The robbers, then, used electric cutters and broke the ATM. As much as Rs 19 lakh cash was stolen," they said. The incident came to light when the morning shift security guard arrived for his duty and found the ATM broken and the other guard lying unconscious, following which he alerted the police, officials said. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sultan Singh said CCTV footage has been collected and the investigation is on. A case of robbery was registered against the unknown accused.
Militant killed in Pulwama, clashes erupt at shootout site
Clashes broke out on Tuesday near the site of a shootout in which the Army killed a militant, in Pulwama district, police said.
Sri Lanka marks decade since journalist murder amid justice calls
Sri Lankan journalists Tuesday paid tribute to anti-establishment editor Lasantha Wickrematunge 10 years after his murder by a suspected government death squad that came to symbolise a deadly decade-long crackdown on the country's media. Just days before he was due to give evidence against the brother of the country's then strongman leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, two assailants on motorcycles blocked the car of the 50-year-old editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper before smashing the windows and stabbing him in the head. The assassination is one of many unresolved killings of journalists carried out during Rajapaksa's decade in power, which also saw a 37-year conflict with Tamil separatists brought to a brutal conclusion. Friends, family and colleagues of Wickrematunge placed flowers and candles on his grave at the Colombo General Cemetery. White cards with Wickrematunge's name and those of 18 other journalists were also put among the golden trumpet flowers and white frangipani blooms. A ..
Eight civilians killed in incursion in east DR Congo
At least eight civilians including relatives of soldiers were killed in an overnight incursion by armed men in the volatile eastern DR Congo, the army said Tuesday. "Eight people (were) killed including four family members of soldiers" in the commune of Mavivi in the north of the Beni region, regional army spokesman Mak Hazukay told AFP. Police put the death toll at 10, after initially reporting eight. The Beni region has been the target of attacks since October 2014 by the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a shadowy Islamist-rooted group that arose in western Uganda in 1995 under the leadership of Jamil Mukulu, a Christian turned Muslim. Forced out of Uganda, it operates in the border area in the DRC's North Kivu province, an area where other armed groups are also active. It has been blamed for recruiting and using child soldiers, killing hundreds of civilians since 2014, as well as 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers who died in an attack in December 2017. Elections in the Democratic ...
316 paramilitary personnel killed between 2014-18: Govt
A total of 316 personnel from paramilitary forces were killed during operations in various parts of the country since 2014, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. During the Question Hour, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said 61 paramilitary personnel were killed in 2018, 70 in 2017, 71 in 2016, 43 in 2015 and 71 in 2014. The paramilitary personnel killed between 2014 and 2018 belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Assam Rifles, the minister said.