(19 Nov) Even as his wife blows herself up in gun battle with French police; group was planning simultaneous attacks with AK-47s and bombs on Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and a popular shopping centre. Paris : More than 100 armed officers stormed a flat in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, on Wednesday in the belief that Paris carnage mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, was holed up inside with six other terrorists, online media reports said. A female terrorist believed to be Abaaoud’s jihadi bride blew herself up with a suicide vest and another jihadi was killed by a grenade during the six-hour siege in which five people were taken alive and arrested. However, the French authorities were not forthcoming on whether Abdelhamid Abaaoud was there or if he is alive or dead. However, the French Ambassador in India told NDTV, “I have information that leads us to suspect that he has committed suicide. I do not have indication we have received,” Ambassador Francois Richier said. He added in the same breath,

“We, however, need to wait for confirmation of the outcome of the operation.” Sate broadcaster France 2 claimed that the group inside the flat was a ‘fourth unit’ apart from the three that killed 129 on Friday and were planning simultaneous attacks with AK-47s and bombs on Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and the Quatre Temps shopping centre in the city’s business district. Security services hunting for Abaaoud had spent days watching flats and tapping phones; Wednesday’s storming was a culmination of this extensive search. A woman ‘with long blonde hair’ is said to have fired her AK-47 at police before blowing herself up as the assault squad stormed their hideout, online reports added. A seven-year-old sniffer dog called Diesel, which was sent into the block to look for booby traps, was killed in the blast. The stand-off ended as a bloodied and half-naked suspect was dragged out of the apartment close to the Stade de France. Witnesses told MailOnline there were periods of intense machinegun fire and at least seven large explosions, which turned their street ‘into a warzone.’ The man who rented the flat to ‘two Belgians’ has been arrested and claims: ”I didn’t know they were terrorists. It was a favour.” Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said authorities are still working to determine the fate of Abaaoud and identify those killed and arrested. He confirmed three suspected jihadis were held in the flat and two more ‘as they tried to hide in the rubble’ of the block. Saint-Denis is one of France’s most historic places. French kings were crowned and buried through the centuries in its famed basilica, a majestic Gothic church that towers over the area. Crossing borders at will The mastermind of the Paris massacres previously bragged about travelling across Europe at will to plot atrocities. Belgian extremist Abdelhamid Abaaoud, despite being on wanted lists, has shuttled between Syria and Europe, exploiting the migrant crisis on EU borders. The 27-year-old has been able to plan two atrocities and brainwash hundreds of young men into joining the Islamic State, including his 13-year-old brother. Abaaoud attended one of Brussels’ most prestigious schools – Collège Saint-Pierre – but he fell into trouble with the law and was jailed for theft. It is claimed he was then radicalised in the Saint Gilles prison and went to Syria to join IS. A forensic scientist searches for evidences in the apartment raided by the French Special Forces on Wednesday.

In a bonanza for central government employees, the 7th Pay Commission is likely to recommend on Thursday a 22-23% jump in their salary and allowances, according to sources.

The Pay Commission headed by Justice A K Mathur has suggested a 15% increase over the basic salary plus DA for the central government staff, they said, adding that an increase in allowances like HRA has also been recommended.

The total increase will be 22-23% of the gross salary (basic plus DA plus allowances), the sources said.

The recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission are scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2016.

Besides Chairman, other members of the commission are Vivek Rae, a retired IAS officer of 1978 batch, and Rathin Roy, an economist. Meena Agarwal is secretary of the commission.

The central government constitutes the pay commission every 10 years to revise the pay scale of its employees and often these are adopted by states after some modifications.

The Commission was set up by the UPA government in February 2014 to revise remuneration of about 48 lakh central government employees and 55 lakh pensioners.

The Union Cabinet had extended the term of the panel in August by four months, till December. The 6th Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1, 2006.

A charter passenger flight flight LLP 1120 flying from Warsaw to Egyptian resort of Hurghada has made an emergency landing at Bulgaria’s Burgas after a bomb threat emerged.

Hurghada is a beach resort town stretching some 40km along Egypt’s Red Sea coast. It’s renowned for scuba diving, and has numerous dive shops and schools in its modern Sekalla district. There are many restaurants and nightclubs catering to an international crowd, while the old town, El Dahar, is home to traditional Egyptian coffee shops and souks.

The bomb threat was made by a 64 year old drunk passenger and was not based on any fact.The passenger who alerted crew about a possible bomb admitted on questioning to having consumed alcohol, a police spokeswoman said.

This is a typical example on how serious a reaction can be by an airline pilot after a major air disaster. Egyptian tourism deserves better.

No bomb on any flight to Hurghada – this should be the message.

LOT said the flight was operated by a charter airline and has no connection with the Polish national carrier.

(8 Nov) Mumbai is changing rapidly. Roads, buildings, shopping arcades, places of entertainment are all changing. No wonder if the city’s people are also changing and some of them are not able to make head or tail of the changes the city’s topography is undergoing, be it south Mumbai or distant suburbs. Recently as people streamed all over the city roads, trying to recognize the landmarks which had undergone several changes there was an animated discussion among them on new and old landmarks. Look at the crowds moving near the famous Mahalaxmi temple. People could only inch forward.

“We can’t miss the Mahalxmi temple,” snapped one of the visitors dressed in saffron. “Ha, where has it disappeared. One of the landmarks here is Mumbai Central station and of course, there was a cinema theatre. I am not bothered about the theatre but the temple is a must. It was Swami Adityanath, a grim-looking MP from UP, known for his strong views on propagating Hindutva. They walked ahead in some silence and were suddenly engulfed in the a huge crowd. It was not the usual, pious temple going crowd but was full of young, dashing college going kids dressed in the latest and dancing to the hot tunes, mostly from the latest films. The youngsters wore wedding costumes and occupied large sections of the road. “The undisciplined ruffians should be chased off the road, such a big nuisance, blocking the roads and delaying the darshan. Pausing to listen carefully the swami observed, ‘Jairamjiki, not this song again, the wedding march from that never-ending bore of the film ‘dilwale dulhaniye …’

We are in power for more than a year but had not banned the film or its cheap songs.” His companion was shocked. “But swamiji, the film almost completed more than a Yug, a super duper hit. And the songs..they hit the roof tops and the roof fell off the roof. “What do you know of such pure hindutva films?” snapped the BJP swami. “Glorious Hindu, Punjab culture, observing all Hindu traditions and rituals: fasting. karva chauth, fasting for the husband, devotion for would-be husband, I have not seen such a film.” His companion protested. “Swamiji, in the end love triumphs. That 420 is Raj boozes beer all the time, makes fun of all rituals. DJLJ makes fun of all Hindu tradition, though the Hindutva dad is an exception he should have been sent to London as our High Commissioner.” “But the boy chosen for kajol is a drunk and violent,” pointed the Hindu Swamiji’s friend, “boozing, shooting pigeons, rash driving, resembled a Punjabi thug. I don’t know how the film ended up a hit. Yogi Adityanath frowned. “We cannot check all these faults. But Shah Rukh was the major flaw in the film. Let us begin an agitation to ban DDLJ with retrospective effect. If Raj wants to romance Simran and fool around with our culture, let him go to Pakistan. The film will not run for a day, Raj and Simran will be ordered to be stoned to death.

By ANI, 17 Nov 2015 11:01 AM
(17 Nov) Washington D.C, Nov. 17 (ANI): In a new video released by the ISIS, the terrorists have issued a warning saying that Washington should brace itself for an attack similar to the Paris carnage. The Washington Post reports that the terrorists were seen lauding the Paris shootings, however, the authenticity of the video could not be immediately confirmed but it bears close resemblance to the former videos released by the ISIS. The video which lasts for 11 minutes, reportedly showed clips of the aftermath following the airstrikes on the ISIS stronghold by French President François Hollande A man identified as “Al Karar the Iraqi”, threatened the ‘crusader’ nations who are fighting together against the ISIS and the U.S capital was specifically singled out, according to the daily.

“We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France’s and by God, as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington,” the man says in the video. Another man in the video warned the European nations of Paris-style attacks. He was seen saying that the terror outfit was heading their way with ‘booby traps, explosives, and gun silencers’ and that they will be unstoppable as they have never been this strong before, the daily said. The Washington Post’s Metro section reported that the FBI’s Washington Field Office declined to comment about the purported video threat on Monday, but did refer to a statement it released in the wake of the Paris attacks on Friday. The ISIS claimed responsibility for the 13/11 carnage in Paris which has left at least 132 dead. France later carried out a massive retaliatory attack and dropped 20 bombs in an airstrike on Raqqa, Syria which is touted as the ISIS de facto capital.

Heartbreaking and poignant interview with a child
A video has been shared of a French interview with a father and son that is both emotional and heartbreaking.
The boy is asked how he feels and he speaks of his fear of the bad guys and fears they must move. The father then reassures the child but adds that there are bad guys everywhere.
The “precious” conversation took place at the scene of the Bataclan attacks and you can watch it below.

08:42
Osborne: Isil plotting deadly cyber-attacks against UK
Islamist terrorists are plotting to use they internet for “evil” by launching deadly cyber-attacks which could cripple Britain, George Osborne will warn later today, write Steven Swinford, Tom Whitehead, Christopher Hope and Gordon Rayner.
The Chancellor will use a speech at GCHQ to warn that Isil poses a significant “cyber threat” amid concerns that it could kill innocent people by attacking power stations, the National Grid and hospitals.
He will say: “Isil are already using the internet for hideous propaganda purposes; for radicalisation, for operational planning too.
“They have not been able to use it to kill people yet by attacking our infrastructure through cyber attack.
“They do not yet have that capability. But we know they want it, and are doing their best to build it.”
You can read their full report here.
A woman stands in front of a makeshift memorial made up with flowers, candles and messages, on at the Place de la Republique square in Paris
A woman stands in front of a makeshift memorial made up with flowers, candles and messages, on at the Place de la Republique square in Paris Photo: AFP/Getty Images
08:22
Google Maps search for Isil pinpoints Paris rock venue hit by deadly attack
A search for the term “Daech” or Daesh” – the French spelling of the acronym for the Islamic State – locates the terror group at the Bataclan, the Paris rock venue where Islamist suicide bombers blew themselves up after killing 89 people, writes Rory Mulholland in Paris.
The bizarre search result is due to the fact that huge numbers of people have been typing the two words together when looking for information about the horrific attacks on Paris on Friday.
The search engine’s algorithms then associated the two words and placed the terror group at the concert hall, a Google spokesman explained to BFM TV news channel.

‘Syrian’ suicide bomber in Paris attacks may have been French
The Paris suicide bomber whose body was found next to a Syrian passport may have been a Frenchman who had usurped a refugee’s identity, Le Monde reports, writes Rory Mulholland in Paris.
The paper quotes an internal document from France’s security services noting that several cases had been documented of “French jihadists returning from Syria carrying identity papers of third parties”.
The passport bearing the name Ahmad al-Mohammad was found near one of the three suicide bombers who blew themselves up outside the Stade de France.
Greece and Serbia have both confirmed that the document belonged to a 25-year-old migrant from the Syrian city of Idlib who registered as a refugee in their respective countries last month.
Fingerprints from the dead attacker match those of someone who passed through Greece in October, French officlas said.
The discovery of the passport beside the dead attacker has increased fears of Isil infiltrators among the hundreds of thousands of refugees making their way to northern Europe through the Balkans.
If the attacker was not a Syrian, he may have been using someone else’s ID or a fake one.

08:15
Australian police trained to shoot armed extremists on sight
Australian police are being trained to shoot armed extremists on sight rather than the force’s current tactic of “contain and negotiate” following a series of domestic terrorist attacks, writes Jonathan Pearlman in Sydney.
The training programme, based on tactics used by the FBI, has been assigned to officers in the state of New South of Wales, which has the largest force.
“We’re at a point now where the ground has shifted, things have changed and starting with Mumbai onwards, there’s been any number of attacks where you have a mobile enemy force, which moves through places and kills people,” the state’s deputy police commissioner Nick Kaldas told 2UE radio.
“We would be mad to continue to say we will do nothing but contain and negotiate.”
Australian authorities have warned of an escalated domestic terror threat following numerous attacks and thwarted plots in the past year.
Mr Kaldas said the changed police approach was not aimed at situations such as cornered armed robbers who do not necessarily intend to die. Instead, he said, it was designed for situations where “you’re dealing with someone who is there with a preconceived aim of dying and who wants to kill as many people as they possibly can”.
07:50
France stages 128 raids overnight
French police staged 128 raids in the early hours of Tuesday, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said, as authorities stepped up their investigation into the country’s worst-ever terror attacks, AFP writes.
Authorities had made 23 arrests and seized 31 weapons including a rocket launcher in a broad sweep of raids across the country the previous day.
07:10
Militant gang warns of attack on Bataclan
A video believed to be from 2008 has emerged showing a group of masked militants warning door staff at the Bataclan theatre, Paris, that it is a target, writes Charlotte Krol.
The gang of about 10 masked men recorded themselves demanding to speak to the management before threatening door staff, saying: “You will pay the consequences of your actions.

a first of its kind, envisaging ending the societal stigma towards the sexual minority group and ensuring them non-discriminatory treatment. ‘The State Policy for Transgenders in Kerala 2015’ is aimed at safeguarding the rights of the marginalized community. The Kerala Department of Social Justice has issued the policy to enforce the constitutional rights of transgenders, taking into account the Supreme Court judgement (2014) and the findings of the recent survey in the state. The policy covers all the categories of transgenders and intersex people.

It also emphasises the rights of the minority group to self-identify themselves as man, woman or Transgender as stated in the Supreme Court judgement. It also ensures them equal access to social and economic opportunities, resources and services, right to equal treatment under the law, right to live life without violence and equitable right in all decision making bodies The number of those identifies themselves as transgender is estimated to be around 30,000 in Kerala.

At least 120 people have died in a popular Paris concert hall where attackers seized hostages , an official said, one of at least six terror attacks that unfolded across the city in the deadliest violence Paris has seen since World War II. French President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency and announced that he was closing the country’s borders. The violence spread fear through the city and exceeded the horrors of the Charlie Hebdo carnage just 10 months ago. Paris police officials said security officials had launched an assault on the concert hall, killing at least two attackers.

One described “carnage” inside the building, saying the attackers tossed explosives at the hostages. In addition to the deaths at the concert hall, a police official said 11 people were killed in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement and other officials said at least three people died when bombs went off outside a stadium. All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named in the quickly moving investigation. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, and no clear picture of how many attackers were involved and if any were on the run. Jihadists on Twitter immediately praised the attack and criticised France’s military operations against Islamic State extremists. Hollande, who had to be evacuated from the stadium when the bombs went off outside, said in a televised address that the nation would stand firm and united. “This is a terrible ordeal that again assails us,” he said.

“We know where it comes from, who these criminals are, who these terrorists are.” US President Barack Obama, speaking to reporters in Washington, called the attacks on Paris “outrageous attempt to terrorise innocent civilians” and vowed to do whatever it takes to help bring the perpetrators to justice. Earlier yesterday, two explosions were heard outside the Stade de France stadium north of Paris during a France-Germany friendly football match. A police union official said there were two suicide attacks and a bombing that killed at least three people. The official, Gregory Goupil of the Alliance Police Nationale, whose region includes the area of the stadium, said explosions went off simultaneously near two entrances and a McDonalds. The attack comes as France has heightened security measures ahead of a major global climate conference that starts in two weeks, out of fear of violent protests and potential terrorist attacks. Hollande canceled a planned trip to this weekend’s G-20 summit in Turkey, which was to focus in large part on growing fears of terrorism carried out by Islamic extremists.

Narendra Modi was greeted by noisy protests outside Downing Street as he arrived for talks with David Cameron.

Several hundred demonstrators representing Gujarati, Sikh, Tamil, Kashmiri, Nepali and women’s groups chanted ”Modi go home” and “David Cameron shame shame” as the Indian prime minister was welcomed at about lunchtime on Thursday. Modi, a Hindu nationalist who was elected after a landslide victory last year, was banned from the UK, US, and several European countries until 2012 after anti-Muslim riots a decade earlier in Gujarat, in which thousands died. Modi was chief minister at the time and, while he has strongly denied any involvement in the unrest, he faced severe criticism for failing to do more to intervene.

Amnesty International and other rights groups have accused his government of fostering a climate that has encouraged growing religious violence, and permitting wider human rights abuses.

Many of the several hundred protesters in Whitehall cited the 2002 riots as the eason they were demonstrating, but others raised issues of human rights, protection for women in India and accusations of injustice against Tamils, Dalits and other religious and ethnic minorities.

A delegation of Sikh protesters waved black flags and accused Modi of genocide in a provocative banner that also bore an image of Hitler. Dabinderjit Singh, principal adviser of the Sikh Federation (UK), said: “People genuinely fear the direction Narendra Modi is taking the country in terms of the impact on religious and ethnic minorities. What happens to the hundreds of millions of Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and he Dalit community in India? Where will we go?”

“We think that Britain inviting Modi here is showing support for the human rights abuses against women in India,’ said Camille Rouse, of the Newham Asian Women’s Project, which works with victims of “honour-based” violence in east London.

She said Modi had done nothing to challenge abuses against women in India. “He just looks the other way while women are being abused.”

Damar Ghale, a former president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association UK, urged Britain not to sign trade deals with Modi while India implemented what he described as an illegal blockade of Nepal. “Britain has made its decision to invite him, but we are here to ensure he hears us and knows what is happening in Nepal.”

A smaller group of fewer than 50 pro-Modi demonstrators, kept at a distance by police, waved Indian flags and chanted “welcome Modi”. One of those supporting the prime minister, Shri Jayu Shah, of the Friends of India Society, said: “People should respect that India is a democratic nation and he was elected by the people of India. That gives him every right to be here.” Modi, he added, “is the one who is going to take India out of poverty”.

The Indian prime minister can expect a warmer welcome on Friday, when 60,000 members of the Indian diaspora will pack into Wembley stadium for a rock star reception and fireworks display at which he will be greeted onstage by Cameron.