Bomb blast in a mosque in Kabul during evening prayers kills many

A bomb blast in the Siddiquiya Mosque in the northern Kabul neighborhood of Khair Khanna killed many worshippers. It happened during evening prayers and the authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of deaths. Initial reports say the blast killed at least three people and left dozens of others wounded. Italian non-governmental organization NGO Emergency operates a hospital in the capital. It said it had 27 patients wounded in the blast. Three of them are dead and five of the wounded were children. A security official revealed to a section of the media that 20 people lost their lives in the blast and 40 others suffered injuries. A spokesman of the Taliban government confirmed people have died but did not specify the number of casualties. Several killed in explosion at mosque in Kabul. The official wrote on Twitter - “The murderers of civilians and perpetrators … will soon be punished for their crimes.”

A spokesman of the Kabul police confirmed - “A blast happened inside a mosque … the blast has casualties, but the numbers are not clear yet.” Witnesses revealed to the media about the blast that shattered windows in nearby buildings. Intelligence teams arrived at the site of the blast and the matter is under investigation. The Taliban took over in August last year after the withdrawal of United States-led NATO forces. The de-facto government of the Taliban has yet to be recognized by the world. The Taliban asserts that it has made the nation secure but Afghanistan continues to witness regular attacks by armed groups. Militant groups commit many of these. Last week, a bomb attack killed a prominent Taliban religious leader at a seminary in Kabul. The ISIL (ISIS) armed group claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier, in June, there was an attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul in which two people were killed.

Aamir Khan’s latest movie Lall Singh Chaddha flops – could be removed from cinemas

North Korea reactivates its missile programs

A dry spell in Wales reveals a 19th century village submerged underwater

Mamata distances herself from Partha, throws her weight behind Anubrata

Fire in Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt kills 41 including at least 10 children

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to attend the One Young World Summit in Manchester next month

Racket of cattle smuggling in Bengal – CBI arrests leader of Trinamool Congress

Independence of India – I was there on that day

Sister of Kim Jong-un reveals her brother had ‘fever’ during the Covid pandemic

Suicide bomber kills at least 15 in Mosul

The ISIS is striking back and using suicide bombers as Iraqi forces appear to be gaining ground in Mosul while the militants are losing hold. At least 15 people killed in the latest assaults and more than 20 are injured. The attacks reveal the intense violence that is still a matter of worry in the country and the perils that remain as the battle for Iraq's second largest city nears its end.
This has been reported in timesofndia.com dated 3 July 2017.

It seems a suicide bomber in the disguise of a woman killed 14 at a camp for displaced people in Iraq's western Anbar province . The incident happened in the al-Nuri Mosque and at least 20 were wounded in the explosion. Using women as suicide bombers is one of the latest tactic used by the militants. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

New nesting sites for crocodiles in Gahirmatha Wildlife Sanctuary

Patna-Delhi Rajdhani Express to get a new look

Goa expects a flood of tourists


The teacher who taught me Bengali

He taught me to ride a scooter

He was one of the wittiest persons I have ever met


'Spider-Man: Homecoming' brings back the teenage crime fighter

Adele calls a halt to her tour, London will be her final stop

Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk set for release in India in July


Six Afghanistan policemen killed in Taliban attack

Cable car kills seven tourists in Gulmarg

More than 150 killed in explosion of oil tanker in Pakistan

Six people shot dead by gunmen in a mosque in Quebec City during evening prayers

Six people have been shot dead by gunmen in a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, during evening prayers. Another eight people were wounded in the attack and some of them are seriously injured. Two masked gunmen had started shooting inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Centre. At that time, there were more than 50 men, women and children in the mosque.
They have revealed that the attackers had a native accent and shouted "Allahu akbar" as they opened fire.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 30 January 2017.

Those who lost their lives were between 35 and 70 years old and some of the wounded are in a critical condition and were taken to different hospitals across the city.
Police have arrested two people - one of them at the scene of the attack, the other in nearby d'Orleans, Quebec. Their identities have not been disclosed and the motive for the attack is being investigated.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge.
Police in New York are increasing patrols at mosques after the Quebec shooting incident.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Mars mission very much on the cards - six scientists are getting ready in Hawaii

Remembering Princess Diana on her 20th death anniversary

Restaurant offering only organic food opens in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad


Didi to UP on a selling mission (satire)

Ronald Grump invites Moody to Las Vegas (satire)

In the wonderland of deo sprays, fairness creams, and condoms


Sets of the film Padmavati in Jaipur vandalised, Bhansali cancels shooting

Indian born actress Priyanka Bose talks about the movie 'Lion'

Pakistan government lifts the ban on Indian films with 'Raees' and 'Kaabil'


Fire in a mosque in Texas - the Islamic Center of Victoria badly damaged

ISIS had plans to launch chemical warfare - evidence unearthed in Mosul

26-year-old man mows down four people and injures another 25 in Melbourne CBD

Fire in a mosque in Texas - the Islamic Center of Victoria badly damaged

Islamic Center of Victoria, a mosque in Texas, has been badly damaged by a fire just hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting migration from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The fire was noticed by a clerk at a convenience store. He spotted smoke and flames billowing from the mosque at around 2am on Saturday.
The fire department spent more than four hours trying to battle the blaze. Photographs showed the dome toppled, and as the center's president has said: 'It looks completely destroyed.'
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 29 January 2017.

The imam of the mosque was awake in the early morning hours and, on checking the mosque's online surveillance, found that the alarm was inactive and the doors were unlocked. Just last week, someone had gained entry into the mosque and stole a number of electronic items, including laptops. In addition to the break-in, the mosque was subject to vandalism in July 2013 when a man painted 'H8' or 'hate' outside the building.
The mosque had been built in 2000, and has enjoyed support from the city 115 miles southwest of Houston.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to debut at the 2017 Republic Day parade

Many of the Trump hats are not made in America but in China, Vietnam and Bangladesh

Chinese firm to invest over Rs 1300 crore in Toto rickshaw manufacture in Howrah


Didi visualizes industrial revival via nalen gur (satire)

Lord Shiva and the sight of potbellied policemen (satire)

In the wonderland of health drinks


Shah Rukh Khan's movie Raees to release in Dubai on January 25

James Cameron plans to resurrect his Terminator franchise in 2019

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan wants more power to women in 2017


ISIS destroys portions of Roman amphitheatre in the ancient city of Palmyra

Kim Jong-Un plans to send a message to Donald Trump by launching a missile

Bomb blast in a vegetable market in Parachinar kills at least 20

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

MI5 agent reveals how he tracked down a suspected Islamic terrorist

It was like a mission from the story books - the MI5 agent had dressed up as a tramp in urine-soaked clothes and sat in front of a mosque while tracking a suspect. He was part of an MI5 team that was tracking a suspected Islamist terrorist and he sat outside a London mosque during evening prayers. To make it look realistic, he was dressed as a tramp and pretended to ask for change. His own clothes were soaked in his own urine to compliment that cover.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 4 October 2016.

While keeping watch, he observed that the number of woman worshippers who left was more than the number that had gone in. He immediately alerted the team that there was a possibility the suspect had changed his appearance. Actually, he had changed into a burka and was pretending to be a woman. Agents of the MI5 team called in a Special Forces unit to arrest the terrorist and two Range Rovers slammed into the suspect's car. The man was dragged him out of the car and the team found weapons and pipe bombs in the boot.
His planned target was for the very next day. It seems he was waiting for a couple of coach loads of children who were returning from a trip to France and his plan was to kill them, the teachers and the parents.
The MI5 agent had spent 10 years as a surveillance agent for British intelligence.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

Shooting in Burlington - gunman on the run after shooting dead four women in a shopping center


Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000

Suicide bomb attack in Pakistani mosque during Friday prayers kill at least 25

A suicide bomb attack in a Pakistani mosque during Friday prayers has killed at least 25 and more than 35 worshipers were left injured when a huge blast destroyed the building. The incident happened in the Mohmand tribal area of the country's north west that is bordering Afghanistan.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 16 September 2016.

The mosque was packed with people attending Friday prayers and the attacker shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before detonating an explosive vest. The explosion brought a portion of the building, including its veranda collapsed crushing worshipers below. Bodies are still being hauled out of the rubble and the death toll could rise.
Local tribal elder feels that the attack may have been carried out by Islamist militants who are seeking revenge after local tribesmen gathered a volunteer force and killed one and captured another insurgent.
Regarding security in Pakistan, the military says 'terrorist incidents' have reduced from 128 in 2013 to 74 last year and Islamist extremists continue to stage major attacks. Killing of 74 people including lawyers in the city of Quetta last month was an attack claimed by both the Islamic State and Jamaat-ur-Ahrar which is a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban. The Jamaat-ur-Ahrar also claimed the Easter Sunday bombing in a park in the eastern city of Lahore in which 72 people were killed - many of them were children.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Clicking selfie with Ma Durga may be banned in Kolkata

Tackle the obesity crisis by outdoor activities like gardening

Cable cars stranded over Mont Blanc - 45 tourists had to spend the night suspended in air


Moody and the cow syndrome (satire)

Didi off to Rome in search of goodies (satire)

Lord Shiva and the auto hub that did not happen (satire)


At least 100 killed in airstrikes in Syria before ceasefire begins

Hillary Clinton reiterates that US will not put ground troops in Iraq and Syria

Abandoned car with gas cylinders found near Notre Dame cathedral


MTV's Video Music Awards in New York - Beyonce walked away with top honours

Sonakshi Sinha breaks bones and throws punches in Akira

Lindsay Lohan wants to participate in a Russian talk show with President Putin


Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan to star together in Thugs of Hindostan

Dwayne Bravo says Deepika Padukone is his favourite star

Hollywood inequality - women hardly get a chance to speak

Bomb blasts kill 20 in Sayyida Zeinab mosque of Damascus

20 people were killed in two bombs blasts outside the Sayyida Zeinab mosque in Damascus. This is the holiest Shiite shrine in Syria. The first blast was by a suicide attacker who was wearing an explosives belt and took place at the entrance of Ziabiyeh district. The second one was the result of a suicide attacker in a car rigged with explosives in al-Teen street.
The attacks came as Sunni and Shia Muslims are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 11 June 2016.

ISIS have subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Syria's Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi has blamed Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, for being behind the 'brutal massacres'. As per information with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a British-based monitoring group, the death toll was 12 with 30 wounded.
The holy shrine is located six miles south of the center of Damascus and is heavily guarded by Assad regime forces. In spite of that, it has been the target of several attacks by ISIS and their acolytes. The last attack on Sayyida Zeinab was on April 25 in which at least seven were killed and dozens wounded. Earlier, in January, there was another attack claimed by ISIS in which 70 people died.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Vistara to begin a daily flight from Kolkata to Delhi for travelers to Europe

Colony of red squirrels in Wales scared stiff due to rave parties

Turkey's plan to boost tourism - sends an Airbus A300 at the sea bottom


Mama comes calling on Moody (satire)

Didi plans new conquests via Rabindrasangeet (satire)

Lord Shiva and achhe din through Gangajal (satire)


Christina Grimmie shot dead by unidentified gunman in Florida

TE3N first day box office collection of Rs 2.61 crores in India fails to impress

Sonu Nigam opens up on technology and modern day music


Ukraine police arrest a French citizen to foil terror bid during Euro 2016

Delhi police unearths a kidney transplant racket - arrests kingpin from Kolkata

Car bomb attack on Istanbul police leave 11 dead

Boko Haram attack in Jos and Potiskum kills 60 Muslims and Christians in one day

#bokoharam #nigeria #mosque #potiskum #suicide There were two suicide attacks in a mosque and a posh Muslim restaurant in the central city of Jos and an evangelical Christian church in northeastern Potiskum in which militants from Boko Haram killed at least 60 persons. The dead in the mosque included worshippers who had arrived to listen to a cleric known for preaching peaceful coexistence of all faiths.
Not content with the deaths, the militants also set on fire dozens of churches and about 300 homes.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 6 July 2015.

The explosion at the Yantaya Mosque came as cleric Sani Yahaya was addressing the worshippers. The cleric Yahaya is the national chairman of the Jama'atu Izalatul Bidia organization, which preaches that all religions should peacefully coexist. The gunmen had, also, opened fire on the mosque from three directions.
Cleric Sani Yahaya was unharmed in the attack.
Boko Haram extremists have killed about 300 people in the past week -- the self-proclaimed Islamic State group wanted to create more mayhem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It may be recalled that earlier this year, Boko Haram had become an affiliate of the Islamic State group.
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attacks on places of worship and has indicated that the government will defend Nigerians' right to worship freely.
(Image wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
Maggi noodles are banned in India but, the same Maggi is safe in the UK

Top Ramen follows Maggi and goes off the shelves

India’s dreams of a Utopia vanishing, courtesy arrogant and corrupt ministers

Oil giant Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic off the Alaskan coast

Venezuela facing shortage of beer


Boko Haram unleashes another round of terror on Nigeria – kill 150 in Borno state

ISIS child executioners shoot and kill 25 Syrian soldiers in Palmyra ruins in public

Britain wakes from slumber after Tunisia deaths – to debate airstrikes on ISIS targets,br>

Mangoes are forever

Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

Two girl suicide bombers kill at least 30 in Nigerian market

#suicidebomber #nigeria #bokoharam #mosque #ISIS Two teenage girls blew themselves up and killed at least 30 people in a twin suicide bomb attack. The venue of the attack was near a crowded mosque in a bustling market in Maiduguri. The people were from the Baga Road fish market and were praying during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Maiduguri is the largest city of northeast Nigeria and is considered to be the birthplace of Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 23 June 2015.

It is feared that the two girl suicide bombers had been captives of the Boko Haram terror group who forced them to blow themselves up. This was the fourth suicide bombing in Maiduguri over the past three weeks.
As explained by a military bomb disposal expert, most of the bombs carried by girls and women are installed with remote detonation devices which means the carrier cannot control the explosion.
It may be recalled that Boko Haram has sworn allegiance to ISIS in March and has kidnapped thousands of girls and women over the past few years. The increase in the number of females carrying out suicide bomb attacks on behalf of the militants would make one wonder whether these innocent captives are being forced to become suicide bombers and blow themselves up.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
Popcorns in movie halls can contain too much salt and sugar for comfort

Glastonbury Festival might move out from Worthy Farm to a new location

China wants to revive silk route with high speed rail link between Kolkata and Kunming

Iranian women have tickets but cannot watch volleyball match in Tehran

Global warming – snow on the Himalayas is melting too fast due to rise in temperatures


61-year-old woman kicked and stamped her husband to death over a pack of cigarettes

Nine killed by a white man in a hate crime in South Carolina church

Bear bile farm in Vietnam finally closed down, only one bear survived out of 27


Today TV dictates our lifestyle

News on TV channels go from dull to attractive

Suicide bombing in mosque kills 61 in Pakistan

#suicidebombing #mosque #karachi #shiitemuslim It was a tragedy of unimaginable proportions when suicide bombers killed 61 worshippers in a mosque in Shikarpur district of southern Sindh province as reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 31 January 2015 – this is located about 300 miles north of Karachi, the biggest city in Pakistan.
As a result, thousands of Shiite Muslims took to the streets to protest against the when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the middle of a mosque during Friday prayers.
The incident happened during Friday prayers and people in large numbers attended the funeral prayers for the dead on Saturday. This day had been designated as a day of mourning by the provincial government. Other took to the streets to protest against the bombings.
The crowds consisted mostly of Shiite Muslims. They carried black flags and beat their chests as they offered their prayers, one after another.
Karachi is the economic heart of Pakistan and Sindh's provincial capital. It was also shut down for the day, with hundreds of Shiites staging protest rallies.
As reported by the police, the devastating explosion was a suicide attack. The explosives were strapped to the body of the suicide bomber and he selected such a place in the mosque that would cause huge destruction and maximum damage. The bomb was loaded with steel pellets, ball bearings and other types of shrapnel.
The shadowy Jandullah militant group, a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, has accepted responsibility or the attack.