Yemeni Al Qaeda claims responsibility for France attacks
On Friday, French security forces ended a three-day terror spree around Paris that started on Wednesday with the shooting at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead. This was followed by two hostage-taking situations aimed at allowing the attackers to escape. Following the Hebdo massacre, a gunman identified as Amedy Coulibaly shot dead a policewoman in the south of Paris and took hostages in a supermarket, demanding that the attackers of the magazine be allowed to go free. Around the same time, the Hebdo attackers – identified as the Kouachi brothers – holed up in Dammartin-en-Goele, a town northeast of Paris with one hostage. The police conducted simultaneous raids on both locations Friday. The operation at the supermarket cost of the lives of four hostages. The Kouachi brothers were killed in the other operation. The Yemeni Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for coordinating the attack.
Sirisena wins by more than 6.2 million votes
In Sri Lanka’s eighth presidential polls, former ruling party leader and newly minted opposition leader Maithripala Sirisena emerged victorious on Friday as incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa suffered a shocking defeat. Sirisena won with more than 6.2 million votes, as opposed to Rajapaksa’s 5.7 million. While the Sinhala-dominated southern and eastern provinces rooted for Rajapaksa, Sirisena dominated in immigrant-dominated northern and eastern provinces, despite Rajapaksa having been credited for defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.
Tharoor might be quizzed by SIT on Sunday
Former union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is likely to be quizzed by a special investigation team on Sunday about the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar under suspicious circumstances. On Friday, Tharoor called for an unbiased investigation by the police without any predetermined biases, adding that he would fully cooperate with the investigation. Earlier this week, a medical report assessing the cause of Pushkar’s death said she had been poisoned in January 2014, not committed suicide as had been previously thought.
President’s rule imposed in J&K
Following the stalemate in talks between the People’s Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party on forming a government in Jammu Kashmir, President’s rule was imposed in the state on Friday. The governor, NN Vohra, had asked for the move, and it was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee. A hung verdict in assembly elections last month set off a three-cornered contest between the two larger parties and the National Conference to form a coalition. Subsequently, it emerged that the PDP and BJP were in informal talks, but neither was prepared to make any concessions on their demands.
Next India-US defence framework to be signed in two weeks
India and the US will sign their 10-year defence framework pact when President Barack Obama arrives in Delhi to attend the Republic Day Parade as chief guest. The US undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, Frank Kendall, will arrive a few days before him – on January 22 – to stitch up loose ends of the deal. The framework will outline the steps to continue and bolster the bilateral defence partnership.
On Friday, French security forces ended a three-day terror spree around Paris that started on Wednesday with the shooting at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead. This was followed by two hostage-taking situations aimed at allowing the attackers to escape. Following the Hebdo massacre, a gunman identified as Amedy Coulibaly shot dead a policewoman in the south of Paris and took hostages in a supermarket, demanding that the attackers of the magazine be allowed to go free. Around the same time, the Hebdo attackers – identified as the Kouachi brothers – holed up in Dammartin-en-Goele, a town northeast of Paris with one hostage. The police conducted simultaneous raids on both locations Friday. The operation at the supermarket cost of the lives of four hostages. The Kouachi brothers were killed in the other operation. The Yemeni Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for coordinating the attack.
Sirisena wins by more than 6.2 million votes
In Sri Lanka’s eighth presidential polls, former ruling party leader and newly minted opposition leader Maithripala Sirisena emerged victorious on Friday as incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa suffered a shocking defeat. Sirisena won with more than 6.2 million votes, as opposed to Rajapaksa’s 5.7 million. While the Sinhala-dominated southern and eastern provinces rooted for Rajapaksa, Sirisena dominated in immigrant-dominated northern and eastern provinces, despite Rajapaksa having been credited for defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.
Tharoor might be quizzed by SIT on Sunday
Former union minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is likely to be quizzed by a special investigation team on Sunday about the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar under suspicious circumstances. On Friday, Tharoor called for an unbiased investigation by the police without any predetermined biases, adding that he would fully cooperate with the investigation. Earlier this week, a medical report assessing the cause of Pushkar’s death said she had been poisoned in January 2014, not committed suicide as had been previously thought.
President’s rule imposed in J&K
Following the stalemate in talks between the People’s Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party on forming a government in Jammu Kashmir, President’s rule was imposed in the state on Friday. The governor, NN Vohra, had asked for the move, and it was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee. A hung verdict in assembly elections last month set off a three-cornered contest between the two larger parties and the National Conference to form a coalition. Subsequently, it emerged that the PDP and BJP were in informal talks, but neither was prepared to make any concessions on their demands.
Next India-US defence framework to be signed in two weeks
India and the US will sign their 10-year defence framework pact when President Barack Obama arrives in Delhi to attend the Republic Day Parade as chief guest. The US undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, Frank Kendall, will arrive a few days before him – on January 22 – to stitch up loose ends of the deal. The framework will outline the steps to continue and bolster the bilateral defence partnership.
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