Posters mocking Devendra Fadnavis evoke BJP ire

Ahead of the crucial BMC elections due next month, posters in Mumbai about Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ comments on city’s development have prompted BJP to react sharply. “On the other hand, a person from Mumbai will ensure that Maharashtra is kept united, along with Mumbai,” the poster added.

Suicide Bomber Kills 3 in Somalia

Somali police say at least three people were killed Monday when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives near the international airport in Mogadishu. The explosion occurred as security forces inspected vehicles at a security checkpoint a few hundred meters from the headquarters of the African Union peacekeeping mission.

2016: A year in pictures – November and December

ROYAL Wootton Bassett woke one early November morning to discover High Street ‘yarn-bombed’ to raise awareness of that year’s Poppy Appeal run by the Royal British Legion. Linda Frost, town councillor and member of Royal Wootton Bassett Community Together, had set out with fellow community group members much earlier to adorn shop windows and other features.

A video capture shows the gunman entering the Reina

The Islamic State took credit for the attack during the New Year’s celebration that left 39 dead and 69 injured, Turkish media reported. Islamic State takes credit for New Year’s attack at Istanbul nightclub The Islamic State took credit for the attack during the New Year’s celebration that left 39 dead and 69 injured, Turkish media reported.

Analyst: Global advertising revenue to hit $532bn

Big brand budgets and quadrennial events such as the Olympics, European Football Championship and US Presidential Election will drive 2016’s global advertising revenue growth to $532 billion according to findings from critical information, analytics and solutions source IHS Markit’s annual Global Advertising Trends report. “The advertising industry is about to turn the corner thanks to the global economy getting back on track,” said Eleni Marouli, principal analyst, IHS Technology, and report author.

The Latest: Reports: Turkey detains 8 over nightclub attack

This image taken from CCTV provided by Haberturk Newspaper Sunday Jan. 1, 2017 shows the attacker, armed with a long-barrelled weapon, shooting his way into the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday morning. The assailant opened fire at the nightclub in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district during New Year’s celebrations, killing dozens of people and wounding dozens of others in what the province’s governor described as a terror attack.

Award for officer who tackled bottle-wielding man

THE officer who would not let her violent and dangerous attacker get away has been praised at the last Chief Constable’s Awards of the year. PC Michelle Harris was on patrol responding to a request to carry out a search in Basingstoke for a man who was suspected of burglary.

Special birthday for Joyce to see in New Year

ONE Swindon family had a double celebration as the last day of 2016 heralded the 100th birthday of Joyce Walters. Swindon-born Joyce, known more widely as Joyce Vizor, was surrounded by almost 100 friends and family members in a special birthday party at Wrag Barn Golf Club.

Work on flood defences continues a year on from storm Eva hitting town

Storm Eva hit Warrington on Boxing Day 2015, leaving parts of town including Latchford Locks, Longford, Sankey Valley Park, Woolston Park, Lymm, Croft and Burtonwood flooded. A 100m section of Cromwell Avenue between Europa Boulevard and Sankey Brook was hit with 150mm of flood water, with Environment Agency flood defences protecting 119 properties.

Amateur footballer convinced he’s found the king of all Prince…

The amateur footballer snapped a photo of a stranger’s knees after noticing the royal resemblance, adding that the uncanny likeness left him ‘crying with laughter’ The amateur footballer is convinced he’s found Prince George’s likeness in a photo of a woman’s knees. Chris Murphy scrambled to take a snap of the royal resemblance as he passed through Hindley, Greater Manchester, on his way to a match.

Armenia again breaks ceasefire with Azerbaijan

Over the past 24 hours, Armenia’s armed forces have 35 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported on January 2. The Azerbaijani army positions located in the Gaymagli, Jafarli, Gizilhajili villages and on nameless heights of Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in the Barekamavan village of the Noyemberyan district, Azamut, Berkaber villages and on nameless heights of the Ijevan district of Armenia. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani army positions located in the Aghbulag village of the Tovuz district were shelled from the Armenian army positions located in the Chinari village of the Berd district of Armenia.

Yemen’s children starve as war drags on

In this December 12, 2016 photo, provided by UNICEF, five-year-old Mohannad Ali lies on a hospital bed in Abs, Yemen. As the first light of dawn trickles in through the hospital window, 19-year-old Mohammed Ali learns that his two-year-old cousin has died of hunger, but he has to remain strong for his little brother Mohannad, who could be next.

Python makes meal of wallaby in horse paddock near Cairns

A 3-metre scrub python has made a meal out of a wallaby in far north Queensland on New Year’s Day – the second such event recorded in the area in recent weeks. Bernie Worlsfold came across the python mid-feed about 5:00pm on Sunday, while attending to the horses on the Kuranda property where he lives.

Hunt is on for Istanbul attacker

Turkish media reports say that authorities believe that the Islamic State group is behind the attack on a popular Istanbul nightclub during New Year’s celebrations. Hurriyet and Karar newspaper reports Monday cited unnamed security officials saying that authorities have determined that the gunman who killed 39 people comes from a Central Asian nation and is believed to be either from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan.

Turkey: Gunman still on the run after deadly New Year attack

Turkish police officers stand guard on the site of an armed attack at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul on January 1, 2017. The gunman who killed at least 39 people in a shooting at a popular nightclub in the Turkish city of Istanbul remained at large Monday as authorities continued their search for the assailant.

Turkey Sees IS Link to Istanbul Attack

Turkish authorities believe the attacker who killed 39 people, including two Indians, at an Istanbul nightclub over the New Year is linked to Islamic State jihadists and may be from Central Asia, the Hurriyet daily said. Hurriyet said Turkish police and intelligence had received information over the risk of a New Year’s attack by IS in several Turkish cities and had carried out raids and arrests throughout December in response.

Open Championships begin

The 2017 Bowls Tasmania State Championships began on Monday with the men’s and women’s fours the first event of the series. GAME ON: Latrobe’s Phil Moore rolls one down the green on the opening day of Bowls Tasmania’s Gala Week.

Myanmar to investigate police abuse of Rohingya

Myanmar’s government on Monday pledged to investigate a video apparently showing police beating and kicking Rohingya civilians, a rare admission that authorities may have carried out abuses against the Muslim minority. Tens of thousands of people from the persecuted ethnic group — loathed by many of Myanmar’s Buddhist majority — have fled a military operation in Rakhine state launched after attacks on police posts.

Canadian school ban’s Israelis because of ‘settlements’

A trade school in Canada which banned Israeli applicants due to Israel’s alleged “illegal settlement activity” rescinded the ban on Tuesday following an intervention by B’nai Brith Canada and members of the Canadian Jewish community. Stav Daron, an Israeli engineering student and amateur carpenter, had hoped to take a course at the Island School of Building Arts , located on Gabriola Island in the province of British Columbia.

Suicide bomber ‘aged around 10’ attacks market

One person was seriously injured when a suicide bomber aged around 10 blew herself up in a New Year’s Eve attack in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, witnesses and aid workers told AFP Sunday. The girl approached a crowd around a food vendor in the Customs area of the city around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and detonated her explosives, they said.

Sasikala must take charge as CM: Thambidurai

Two days after former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s aide V K Sasikala assumed charge as general secretary of the ruling AIADMK, senior party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai on Monday urged her to take charge as the chief minister. CHENNAI: Two days after former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s aide V K Sasikala assumed charge as general secretary of the ruling AIADMK, senior party leader and Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai on Monday urged her to take charge as the chief minister.

Police took down a Sydney crime syndicate and made ‘the…

Australian police dismantled a major cocaine smuggling ring after a two-and-a-half-year multi-agency operation undertaken with Tahiti, Australian authorities announced on Thursday. Operation Okesi, which began in July 2014, culminated in a Christmas-night seizure of 500 kilograms of cocaine in New South Wales in eastern Australia.

The dangers of UN Security Council Resolution 2334

The December 23, 2016, resolution adopted by the UN Security Council regarding Israel’s settlement policy has been received with mixed and even extreme reactions. [ Click to read the text of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 ] The Palestinian leadership, having initiated the resolution, is celebrating its adoption as an affirmation by the international community, including the United States, of its claims against Israel.

The economic war against ISIL: Airstrikes and financial measures aim to deplete militants’ funding

The Islamic State starts the new year with a drastically depleted bank account, counterterrorism officials say, following months of intensified efforts to deprive the Islamists of oil profits and other revenue used to finance military operations and terrorists attacks abroad. Coalition aircraft in the past 15 months have destroyed more than 1,200 tanker trucks – including 168 vehicles struck in a single air raid in Syria in early December – while also using new weapons and tactics to inflict lasting damage on the terrorists’ remaining oil fields, U.S. and Middle Eastern officials say.

State Department to North Korea: Refrain from provocations

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen on Sunday warned North Korea against provocations, after the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, said his country was close to performing a test launch on an intercontinental ballistic missile . During a televised New Year’s Day speech, Kim said, “We are in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile… Research and development of cutting edge arms equipment is actively progressing and ICBM rocket test launch preparation is in its last stage.”

Can’t give information if FM, CEA were consulted before demonetisation: RBI

New Delhi: Were views of the Chief Economic Advisor and the Finance Minister taken before the sudden announcement of demonetisation of high-value currency notes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8? The Reserve Bank of India feels this query cannot be answered under the Right to Information Act as it does not come under the definition of information under the transparency law. The applicant wanted to know whether the “views of Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were taken before announcement was made.”

Social, relaxed and competitive scene

Former Geraldton resident feels right at home in Upper Horton region, especially with campdrafting and rodeo around this time of year. WHILST the Christmas and New Year period is a time for holidays and the festive season for many people, the scene is a little different for some involved with the rodeo and campdrafting at the Upper Horton Sports Ground.

Tamworth skipper gloves up for Country

Safe hands: Tom Groth takes this catch playing for NSW Country against South Australia at last year’s Australian Country Championships. The Tamworth skipper will on Wednesday begin his ninth campaign with the Bush Blues.