Ohio student stabs people with a butcher knife before being shot dead

A student of Ohio State University went on a stabbing spree in the campus of the University. He was a Somali-born student and he plowed his car into a group of pedestrians on campus. Then he got out of the car and began to stab people with a butcher knife today before being shot dead by an officer.
The incident happened on on the 60,000-student campus of the University.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 29 November 2016.

A total of eleven people were hurt, one of them is critical. Most of the injured were hurt by the car, and at least two were stabbed and one had a fractured skull.
It seems the assailant deliberately drove his small grey Honda over a curb outside an engineering classroom building and then began knifing people. He has been identified as being born in Somalia and he was a legal permanent US resident. The FBI has joined the investigation.
The Islamic State group wants its sympathizers online to carry out "lone wolf" attacks in their home countries with whatever weapons are available to them. Police are investigating whether this was a terrorist attack.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

London Police deputes anti-terrorism patrol units under Operation Servator

London Police has decided to depute anti-terrorism police patrol units on the streets of London in order to spot people carrying out "hostile reconnaissance" and other criminal activity. Known as Operation Servator, it is a tactic of policing that is already used by other forces including City of London and British Transport Police.
Scotland Yard has clarified that the move was "not in response to a specific threat".
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 28 November 2016.

Lambeth and Wandsworth will be the first areas where the new patrol units of uniformed and undercover officers will begin and it will be extended to other boroughs in the coming months. Operation Servator "is based on extensive research into the psychology of criminals and what undermines their activities", as indicated by the Metropolitan Police.
Apart from the patrol units, there will be the dogs and boat units and the territorial support unit riot police. It may be recalled that the City of London Police had introduced Servator tactics in February 2014, using undercover teams, CCTV and number plate recognition technology to add to the 1990s "ring of steel" in place around the Square Mile.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

Car bomb exploded in a busy market in Mogadishu - at least eight killed

A car bomb exploded near a busy market in Somalia's capital Mogadishu and left at least eight people dead and medical sources have warned that the toll could be far higher.
An official of the police have indicated that eight civilians have been killed in the blast and more than 10 others wounded but the death toll could rise because the area is a market and it was densely populated when the blast occurred. Most of those wounded have serious injuries.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 26 November 2016.

Unconfirmed sources had suggested nearly 30 people had been killed, but this was not confirmed by authorities. The ambulance service have indicated about collecting 13 wounded civilians and 28 dead bodies and the toll could be higher. The blast happened in the densely populated Afisiyone area in southern Mogadishu.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the immediate suspicion falls on the Al-Qaeda linked Islamist group al-Shabaab. It has been locked in battle against the Somali government and regularly carries out attacks in the city. It still control vast swathes of outlying rural areas from which they launch guerrilla operations. Its most deadly recent attack was in August when a car bomb outside a popular hotel close to the presidential palace killed 15.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

Horror in Mexico - 32 bodies and nine human heads found in clandestine graves

Investigators have discovered 32 bodies and nine human heads in clandestine mass graves in southern Mexico where rival drug gangs have been engaged in a wave of extortion, kidnappings and turf battles. Soldiers and police have found the graves at an outlaw camp in Guerrero state following a tip-off that people were being held at the site located near a mountain in the municipality of Zitlala.
The police rescued a kidnap victim and discovered 12 bodies and human remains in coolers. Subsequently, after further excavations of the site, a total of 32 bodies and nine human heads came to the surface.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 25 November 2016.

The Guerrero Coordinating Group has said that soldiers were combing the area to check for any more clandestine graves. Work is also on to identify the bodies and the killers - the drug gangs frequently decapitate their victims.
Incidentally, residents of the community of Tixtla, Guerrero had found nine decapitated bodies along a highway and the prosecutors are checking out whether the nine heads found in Zitlala have links to these bodies. Guerrero has seen an upsurge in gang-related violence and, the largely rural, impoverished state had 1,832 reported homicides in the first 10 months of 2016.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

Truck bomb in a petrol station kills at least 70 in Iraq

At least 70 people, most of them Iranians, have been killed and another 45 wounded when a truck bomb ripped through a petrol station south of Baghdad. The incident happened in the village of Shomali near the city of Hilla which is located some 75 miles southeast of the capital Baghdad.
The target appeared to have been buses that were ferrying Iranian pilgrims heading home after participating in Arbaeen, a major Shia holiday in the holy city of Karbala.
This has been reported in news.sky,com dated 24 November 2016.

Head of the provincial security committee for Babylon, the province where the bombing happened, has revealed that several buses were targeted and that it was a suicide attack. There are at least 70 dead and fewer than 10 were Iraqis, remaining were Iranians.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.
As per reports, more than 20 million people visited Karbala this year, and the Iraqi authorities have indicated that around three million of them were Iranians. Iraq had positioned nearly 25,000 members of the security forces in and around the shrine city to protect the pilgrims from a feared IS attack.
Iraqi forces are at present engaged in driving out militants from the northern city of Mosul which had been captured by the ISIS in 2014. This Iraqi city is the last major urban centre still held by the extremist group.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

French police arrest ISIS suspects who were targeting a theme park

Anti-terror officers arrested ISIS suspects from the eastern city of Strasbourg and Marseille in the south. The suspects were planning to target a theme park and an area with a high police presence and the arrest came after an investigation by security services that lasted for more than eight months.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 23 November 2016.

In the course of the raids, two handguns, an automatic pistol, a machine pistol and jihadist propaganda were found. The alleged terror ring could have been plotting an attack on a theme park. However, no specific target was revealed.
The seven alleged plotters detained by the police hail from France, Morocco and Afghanistan. Moreover, the four suspects held in Strasbourg, all French, aged between 35 and 37 and not previously known to the intelligence services, were still being interrogated. Two of them are suspected of traveling to Syria in 2015 before returning to Europe.
It may be noted that France is under a state of emergency. This gives security forces enhanced powers to mount surveillance and launch raids. These are after the attacks by Islamic State jihadists on Paris that left 130 people dead.
It may be recalled that France has suffered three major attacks since January 2015 - when gunmen targeted the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket, followed by last November's atrocities in Paris. Then in July, a self-radicalised extremist drove a truck through crowds watching fireworks in the southern city of Nice and killed 86.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

Suicide bombing at a mosque in Kabul kills at least 27 and leaves 35 injured

At least 27 people have been killed and 35 others injured in a suicide bombing at Baqir ul Olum mosque in Kabul. The attacker entered the premises and detonated a suicide vest in a crowd of worshippers who had gathered at the mosque to mark the Shiite ceremony of Arbaeen.
This festival comes 40 days after the major festival of Ashura.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 21 November 2016.

The Taliban has denied responsibility for the bombing. Its spokesperson has said that they have never attacked mosques because it is not their agenda.
The attack comes a week after a blast at a US army base in Bagram, 35 miles north of Kabul, in which four Americans were killed.
A Government chief executive has branded the attack as a "war crime and an act against Islam and humanity." In his words - 'this attack is against religions, faiths, humanity, human ideologies and every human belief. This is a sign of barbarism and cruelty.... Afghans care for the blood of their people. Our security forces will hold the perpetrators accountable by bringing them to justice.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

President Pranab Mukherjee to be present for Vikramshila Mahotsav

Baliyatra fair on the banks of the Mahanadi sees over one lakh visitors on opening day

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bury the hatchet and work together to fight terrorism


Lord Shiva and long ATM queues - bullock carts and ATM don't gel (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)


Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea


La La Land to have its Indian premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Club

Jackie Chan gets an Oscar after a 56-year career

Spider-Man: Homecoming will see Michael Keaton as Spider-Man's main adversary Vulture

Spanish police arrest two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid

Spanish police have arrested two suspected ISIS terrorists in Barcelona and Madrid - they were planning to carry out attacks in Spain. The Moroccan pair was 'dangerous' and 'directed and controlled' by the terror group, as revealed by Spanish Ministry of Interior officials.
The two men had isolated themselves from the rest of society and had limited their contact with the outside world through 'radical jihadist profiles' on the internet.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 19 November 2016.

The two of them were held during dawn raids in the Spanish capital and Roda de Ter in the province of Barcelona which is an hour's drive north of the Catalan city. As indicated by a Spanish Ministry of Interior spokesman, the suspects were fully integrated into DAESH, and were following their instructions and their plans of actions.
Moreover, they were also active on the Internet and social media with the aim of radicalizing and recruiting new conscripts. Upon interrogation, they have disclosed a wealth of radical material including propaganda material designed to fill western societies with fear.
Their arrests brought the number of suspected Islamic terrorists held in Spain since the start of last year, when the country went onto a level 4 terror alert, to 215. It may be recalled that earlier this month four people suspected of trying to recruit so-called Caliphate Cubs - child soldiers as young as 12 to fight for ISIS - were held in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. And, last month two Muslim preachers accused of supporting ISIS were held in the Ibizan party resort of San Antonio.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

At least 52 killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb blast at a remote Sufi shrine in Pakistan

ISIS has claimed responsibility for a bomb blast in a Sufi shrine in Baluchistan with at least 52 killed and more than 100 others injured - many of the victims were women and children. Devotees were at the time participating in a ceremony of devotional dance session, which is held daily before dusk, when the blast occurred.
The shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Noorani is located some 750-Km south of Quetta, the provincial capital of restive southern Balochistan province. The shrine sits on a hill which devotees have to climb for half an hour as there is no regular road.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 13 November 2016.

The shrine is revered and visited both by minority Shia and Sunni Muslims, but militant groups like the Taliban and Islamic State (IS) consider the practice against Islam. IS has claimed responsibility for the attack saying that a suicide bomber had targeted the shrine and had killed around 35 people and injured 95 others.
At the time of the attack, there wee about 600 people at the shrine - many of the devotees traveled to the site from Karachi during weekends.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

Joint action by RFA, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard nets huge haul of cocaine from the sea

It was a joint action by Royal Fleet Auxilliary ship, Royal Navy and US Coast Guard that helped to intercept a huge load of cocaine worth nearly £40m from a suspicious speedboat after a dramatic six-hour chase in the Caribbean.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 11 November 2016.

The 31,500-tonne RFA Wave Knight entered the scene after a patrol plane spotted a suspicious speedboat in the sea between Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Wave Knight launched her Lynx helicopter and, sitting in the back of the helicopter was a sniper from the Royal Marines who fired warning shots. Once these were ignored, he fired shots at the speedboat's engines to bring it to a halt.
Thereafter, US Coast Guard boarded and seized 350kg of cocaine which would have been worth about £14m if they had reached the UK.
Of course, before officials had reached the speedboat, the boat's crew had dumped another nearly 650kg of cocaine worth around £26m into the sea.
Subsequently, the five crew from the speedboat were taken with the drugs onto the US Coast Guard cutter and handed over to authorities in Miami Beach.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

Taliban attack in Afghanistan kills at least four, injures another more than 110

A Taliban attack in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif has left at least four people killed and over 110 injured. The target was the German consulate and it was targeted by a suicide truck bomb with subsequent attack by Taliban militants.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 11 November 2016.

It seems one terrorist detonated a car bomb near the gate of the consulate killing himself and one other person. Those injured were residents and the death toll could increase because some of the injured remained in critical condition.
The Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after the blast. A spokesman of the Taliban has indicated that the attack was retaliation for recent airstrikes in Kunduz from the "invading countries" which caused civilian casualties. It may be recalled that on November 3, there was a series of air strikes carried out by NATO-led forces on outskirts of provincial capital Kunduz city subsequent to ground operations conducted by foreign and Afghan security forces positioned there.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

NATO troops on high alert in view of fears that President Putin might attack the West

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has been accused of attempting to interfere with the US election process by hacking into the emails of senior members of the Democratic party. He has also recently moved the Iskander nuclear-capable missiles into the Kaliningrad enclave, on the borders with Poland. Therefore, NATO members like Estonia, Poland and Romania are feeling more and more threatened by Moscow.
Obviously, NATO chiefs are in panic that Russian President Vladimir Putin might attack the West and are, therefore, trying to get together a force of 300,000 troops which they can put on 'high alert'.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 7 November 2016.

Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated because of Moscow's insistence on backing its Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, at all costs. This has led to serious tension with the US, Britain and France. While most of the NATO members have slashed their defense spending after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has been bolstering its military capabilities. It has been holding parades involving more than 100,000 troops each year.
It is understood that it would take NATO at least six months to deploy a force of 300,000 - and it was too slow. President Putin has assured that his country does not want world domination or expansion or confrontation with anyone. Russia values its independence and own identity.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

At least 24 killed in suicide attacks in Iraqi cities of Tikrit and Samarra

Two suicide attacks in the cities of Tikrit and Samarra have left at least 24 dead - this comes as Iraqi forces battle to clear areas taken from Islamic State around Mosul. The suicide attacks happened when two ambulances loaded with explosives were detonated.
The blast in Tikrit was near an entrance to the city during the morning rush hour and at least 13 people were killed in this. Another 11 people died in an attack against Shia pilgrims in Samarra located about 60 miles north of Baghdad.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 6 November 2016.

In Samarra, a suicide bomber parked an ambulance in the car park for a Shia shrine. Then he walked up to pilgrims about 500 metres from the shrine, detonated his vehicle and then blew himself up. The dead included five female students, a woman and three policemen and up to 100 others were injured.>br> Islamic State has issued a statement claiming responsibility for the bombings. Compared to other battles the present tactics of ISIS include a lot of fortifications on the streets, holes filled with water. Moreover, they are in possession of suicide bombers and suicide car bombs that they are using to keep the Iraqi forces at bay.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

The battle to regain control of Mosul is continuing and Iraq's special forces are working to fully clear neighborhoods on Mosul's eastern edge of Islamic State (ISIS) militants. This is a slow-paced work because the advancing troops have to penetrate into populated areas deeper inside Mosul. In view of the presence of a large number of civilians, they cannot resort to airstrikes.
Meanwhile suspected ISIS militants had struck far from the front lines. They resorted to two bombings that killed at least 20 people. One of these was a suicide attack directed against Shiite pilgrims north of Baghdad which killed at least 11 people.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 6 November 2016.

There are reports of some civilians fleeing from the combat zone, while ISIS militants are holding others back for use as human shields. This is making it harder for Iraqi commanders on the ground to get approval for requests for U.S.-led coalition air strikes.
Incidentally, Iraq's special forces are some of the country's best troops, but they depend to a great extent on air support to clear the terrain.
It may be recalled that ISIS had captured the city of Mosul in 2014, and have erected fortifications like trenches and berms that have converted the streets and alleyways of a neighborhood into a maze. In addition, concrete blast walls have blocked off access to other areas.
In April 2015, Iraqi security forces had succeeded in driving out ISIS militants from Tikrit which is located about 80 miles north of Baghdad.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons

In view of the increasing numbers of incidents that involve the use of remotely-controlled devices or drones to smuggle contraband into jails, proposals are under consideration to have no-fly zones over jails - this is expected to thwart drones from being used to smuggle drugs and mobile phones into prisons.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 3 November 2016.

It seems prisoners are ordering illicit cargo using phone smuggled into cells. Subsequently, a 'pilot' controlling the drone from outside the walls lands the device or makes it hover outside a cell window to allow the package to be picked up.
In one instance, a drone that was carrying super-strength skunk cannabis, mobile phones and chargers had landed in an exercise yard at Category B HMP Bullingdon in Bicester, Oxon. Another case was the shocking footage that was captured at Wansdworth Prison in London in April that showed a black bag floating through the air via a drone into a window. There were two pieces of wood tied together that reached out from a cell and hooked it in.
Some action has already been taken in November last year when ministers had introduced new laws to stop people using drones to drop contraband or landing them inside prison grounds. Those convicted could face up to two years in prison. However, the Government is now exploring other methods to prevent use of drones to smuggle drugs and phones.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

UK police and intelligence services have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years. MI5 director has indicated that ISIS extremists in Iraq and Syria pose the most significant threat. He has also added that British intelligence agencies have 'good defenses' and has also warned that they will not find and stop all attacks.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 31 October 2016.

It seems assault weapons like those used in the Paris terror attacks are being smuggled into Britain by criminals gangs and sold on to terrorists. The majority of these illegal weapons come from Eastern Europe, where rules on reactivated guns are not as strict as the UK. Moreover, the majority of weapons seized are of very poor quality and have been reactivated often from the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
National Crime Agency, often referred to as Britain's FBI, and the Met Police have revealed that they have observed an increase in deactivated guns being reactivated in Eastern Europe and coming into Britain by sea, air and even by post. Some of the illegal weapons are bought on the Dark Web or from licensed owners that have either sold or had their weapons stolen.
In addition, there has been a rise in gang violence in British cities because of criminals competing over turf and some of the members have even joined terrorist cells after radicalization on the streets or in jail. Hence, the picture is quite grim.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017