20:32 Sindh: Blast in Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine kills 12:
At least 12 people have reportedly died and scores wounded in an explosion at the Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan town in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
The death toll is feared to go up as many of the injured are in critical condition.
Pakistani media reports said the explosion took place at the spot where the dhamaal (Sufi ritual) was being performed, within the premises of the shrine.
At the time of the blast, there were thousands of people gathered at the spot to view the performance.
The shrine is frequented by thousands of devotees and pilgrims, especially on Thursdays.
“Ambulances from Hyderabad and Jamshoro have been sent to Sehwan. The town has a taluka hospital but it is not equipped with a trauma centre to deal with emergency cases,” in-charge Edhi Foundation Mairaj Ahmed told The Express Tribune.
DMK Working President M K Stalin today greeted Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on his taking over the top post.
He also asked him not to “get operated remotely” from Bengaluru, in an apparent reference to AIADMK chief V K Sasikala.
Extending his greetings to Palaniswami, Stalin, also the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said he “should not seek consultations from Bengaluru prison,” and see that the oath of office and secrecy he has taken today, according to the Constitution, is not infringed upon.
Palaniswami must not run the government according to the whims and fancies of “power centres here and at Bengaluru,” he said and asked him to work for the people’s welfare.
Tense moments prevailed in front of former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s residence in Chennai for a while this evening when a minor scuffle broke out between his supporters and those of Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam.
A policeman and a supporter of Panneerselvam were injured in stone pelting, allegedly by the supporters of Shanmugam.
Former Minister K P Munusamy, a Panneerselvam supporter, rued the incident saying, “every supporter is part of the AIADMK family”.
Police present at the venue brought the situation under control and removed the supporters of either side from the vicinity, police said.
Munuswamy said over the last few days, several cadres and public were visiting the former Chief Minister’s house expressing solidarity and not even a small hitch was witnessed so far.
“But within an hour of new Ministers being sworn-in under the leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK supporters here were attacked. I do not know how they are going to maintain law and order in the state. They have attacked their own party cadres. Why are you being so vindictive?” he said.
20:03 Pak President gets licence to drive in Islamabad:
If Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain decides to drive now he won’t be challaned.
The president, whose previous licence from Karachi had expired, visited Islamabad Traffic Police Office like a common citizen and got his driving licence renewed yesterday.
Hussain was issued a token, 0441, and went through the routine procedures required for getting a driving licence. He answered requisite questions, The Express Tribune reported.
His previous licence from Karachi had expired and was renewed from Islamabad after an NOC was issued by the Karachi Traffic Police as per law that there were no pending tickets or challans against him.
Inspector General of Police Islamabad Tariq Masood Yasin briefed Hussain about the working of the ITP office and the steps that were being taken to facilitate the general public.
20:02 Passengers to pay about 15 per cent more for Antodaya Express:
General passengers will have to shell out about 15 per cent more than the existing fare for travelling in Antodaya Express, the fully unreserved superfast service to be launched shortly in dense routes.
Equipped with facilities like water purifiers, mobile phone charging points and fire extinguishers among others, the first Antodaya Express is slated to be pressed into service from Mumbai for Tatanagar this month.
Provided with bio-toilets for zero discharge of effluents, Antodaya coaches will have toilet occupation indication lights provided at each end near the doorway with better visibility from compartments, a first in general class.
Two rakes of Antodaya Express are ready now to be rolled out on the high demand long-route destinations, a senior Railway Ministry official said.
While one will be launched between Mumbai and Tata, the second is slated to be between Ernakulam and Howrah, another busy route.
However, the official said the fare for Antodaya Express is likely to be slightly higher than the mail/express fares. The fare structure has not been finalised yet but it will be between 10 per cent to 15 per cent more from the regular fare, he said.
20:01 Former RAW chief Rajinder Khanna appointed OSD in NSCS:
Rajinder Khanna, former chief of the country’s external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing, was today appointed Officer on Special Duty in the National Security Council Secretariat.
The National Security Council, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as its Secretary, is the apex body on all internal and external security-related matters.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Modi has approved the appointment of Khanna as OSD (Neighbourhood Studies) in the Council’s secretariat on contract basis for a period of one year, an official order said.
Neighbourhood Studies prepares policy papers of neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Khanna was appointed R&AW chief in December 2014 for a fixed two-year period and was recently succeeded by Anil Dasmana.
19:52 Palaniswamy to face vote trust on Saturday:
Tamil Nadu assembly secretary Jamaludeen says vote of confidence will take place on February 18.
On Wednesday, the Sasikala camp — now led by the CM – had claimed the support of 124 MLAs.
Palaniswami was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu along with his cabinet after being invited by the governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to form government on Thursday.
Palaniswami, a four-time MLA from Salem, was handpicked by Sasikala to lead the party after her conviction by the Supreme Court in a 21-year-old corruption case. The AIADMK has been battling a power tussle after Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala last week.
19:05 Will prove majority, says new Tamil CM Palaniswami :
Sasikalas nominee Edappadi Palaniswami said he will prove majority support in the Tamil Nadu assembly after being sworn in. On Wednesday, the Sasikala camp — now led by the CM – had claimed the support of 124 MLAs.
Palaniswami was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu along with his cabinet after being invited by the governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to form government on Thursday.
Palaniswami, a four-time MLA from Salem, was handpicked by Sasikala to lead the party after her conviction by the Supreme Court in a 21-year-old corruption case. The AIADMK has been battling a power tussle after Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala last week.
18:13 New Tamil CM Palaniswami visits Jaya memorial: After being sworn in as the Tamil Nadu chief minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami made his way to Marina Beach to pay his tributes as the Jayalalithaa memorial.
Reports said that during the swearing-in, supporters of newly appointed minister CV Shanmugham clash with O Panneerselvam aides.
It was also reported that Palaniswami and his cabinet of ministers would also visit Bengaluru prison to meet VK Sasikala.
Saying that India and China have some friction points, the ministry said the aim of the dialogue is to see how both the countries can accommodate each other’s concerns and interests.
17:49 Akhilesh does ‘kaam ki baat’ not ‘mann ki baat’: Dimple:
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is more interested in doing “kaam ki baat” (practical work) rather than “mann ki baat”, SP candidate and his wife Dimple Yadav said today in an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
“Akhilesh Yadav mann ki baat nahi karte, balki kaam ki baat karte hain (Akhilesh Yadav believes in action rather than just words). The people should vote him to power again so that Uttar Pradesh continues to be on the development path,” she said at a rally in Arya Nagar constituency.
Drawing parallels between BSP and BJP, Dimple said, “While BSP supremo Mayawati was responsible for lining up elephant statues in parks during her tenure, the BJP government at the Centre forced people to line up in front of banks in the wake of its demonetisation policy.”
“In either case, it was the people who were at the receiving end,” she said.
Dimple, who is contesting the crucial state assembly polls from Kannauj constituency, also claimed that the ruling party had fulfilled most of the promises made in the Samajwadi Party manifesto in the 2012 polls.
17:33 MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup appointed envoy to Canada: MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup appointed as High Commissioner of lndia to Canada.
Swarup is a writer and diplomat is the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India. He is best known as the author of the novel Q & A, adapted in film as Slumdog Millionaire, the winner of Best Film for the year 2009 at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards.
Swarup joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1986 and served in Turkey, the United States, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Japan in various Indian diplomatic missions.
His other novels are Six Suspects and The Accidental Apprentice. In April 2015, he was appointed as the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India to head its Public Diplomacy divisions at New Delhi, succeeding Syed Akbaruddin.
According to reports, Gopal Bagley, Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan), will take over as the spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs.
16:48 Edappadi Palaniswami sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM : Just in: Edappadi k Palaniswami being sworn in as Tamil Nadu’s next chief minister. TN Governor Vidyasagar Rao administers the oath of office and the oath of secrecy.
CNN News 18 reports that Sasikala’s nephew, the AIADMK deputy general secretary will not be given an ministerial berth. Thirty-one ministers will be sworn in today along with Palaniswami.
AIADMK on the ball with the announcement: @AIADMKOfficial All set for the swearing in ceremony at Raj Bhavan. #AmmaWins.
The 31 ministers are being sworn-in in batches in unison.
15:58 Ministers in the new Cabinet
15:57 The list of ministers to be inducted in Palaniswami’s cabinet
15:56 31 ministers in Tamil Nadu’s new Cabinet : AIADMK’s Edappadi Palaniswami, party chief VK Sasikala’s proxy, will take oath of office at 4 pm today as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Taking oath with him will be a 31-member cabinet. Palaniswami will be the state’s third CM in the last three months. He replaces O Panneerselvam, whose portfolios have been allotted to other leaders. The new chief minister has been given 15 days by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao to prove he has majority support in the state legislature.
See the images for the full list of ministers.
15:37 Just in: Team OPS meeting with EC officials is over.
14:39 Govt welcomes Army Chief’s assertion against anti-national elements in J-K : The BJP-led NDA regime on Thursday welcomed Army Chief General Bipin Rawat’s strict message to anti-national elements in Jammu and Kashmir while asserting that the ruling dispensation at the Centre is clear on its policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the Army Chief’s assertion is in national interest, adding national interest is supreme.
“Anybody who acts against it will be treated as someone who has not done his duty,” Rijiju told ANI.
Echoing similar emotions, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh lauded the armed forces for protecting the nation with utmost sincerity and dedication.
“If we are safe today and we are able to carry our daily activities according to our wishes merrily because we are safely guarded by our security forces. It is in the interest of the army that no interference is made in its work,” Singh said.
“We sleep when they wake. When we eat, they stay hungry. Therefore, we owe to the Indian Army and we should allow them to perform their task and their responsibilities professionally to the best of their wisdom and ability,” he added.
Reiterating the government’s stand on zero tolerance towards terrorism, Singh said: “The attempt to intimidate youth is now even known by them. Perpetrators of terrorism also need to be brought to book”.
The Army Chief yesterday issued a stern warning against anti-national elements.
“The people who have picked up arms, the local boys, if they want to continue with such acts of terrorism and display flags of the ISIS and Pakistan then we will treat them as anti-national elements,” he said while paying his tribute to the bravehearts of the Handwara and Bandipora encounters.
14:25 Palaniswami holds meet at Poes Garden, OPS vows to hit back : Just in: OPS supporter sets himself on fire over the upcoming appointment of Sasikala-nominee Edappadi Palaniswami as the next CM. There is a lot of anger and anguish at the imminent control of Sasikala’s family over the government. Her nephew TTK Dinakaran is likely to get a ministerial berth, a day after he was made a deputy general secretary of the party. A PIL has also been filed in Madras High Court against Palaniswami’s swearing-in, as well.
And finally, the 124 MLAs who were closeted at the Golden Bay resort near Chennai will leave the resort today. They have been there since February 9.
Palaniswami is now holding a meeting at Poes Garden.
13:57 Anyone for payasam? Victorious AIADMK party workers dole out the South Indian dessert outside Golden Bay Resort where MLA’s loyal to Sasikala have been staying to prevent a defection to the OPS camp.
13:43 Sasi’s nephew Dinakaran to be minister in Palaniswami govt : Meanwhile, back in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK workers and supporters distribute payassam (a rice-milk dessert) outside Golden Bay Resort, after E Palaniswami is set to take over as CM.
India Today reports that Sasikala’s nephew TTK Dinakaran, who was appointed deputy general secretary by her, will be a minister in the Palaniswami cabinet.
And O Panneerselvam clearly will not give up. Addressing the media, he said he will not allow the party to go into the hands of few of VK Sasikala’s family members. “Till we install Amma’s rule again in TN, we’ll continue to fight the “dharma yudham”.
13:30 Hafiz Saeed tells Pak govt to remove his name from travel ban list: Hafiz Saeed, chief of terror group Jamaat-ud-Dawa has told the Government of Pakistan to immediately remove his name from a list that bars him from leaving the country. He claimed that he is not a security risk.
In a letter to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, in which 166 people died, said: “A memorandum issued on January 30, 2017 placing 38 individuals should be withdrawn forthwith.”
The government last month put Hafiz Saeed and 37 others of his terror outfits on the Exit Control List, preventing them from leaving the country. It also put Hafiz Saeed and four others under “house arrest” for 90 days for engaging in activities “prejudicial” to peace and security.
Additionally, the interior ministry put Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat on a “watch-list” for six months.
13:08 Team OPS moves EC against Sasikala, Palaniswami to be sworn in at 4 pm: AIADMK MP Dr V Maitreyan from O Panneerselvam’s faction to meet Election Commission officials in Delhi at 2.45 pm. The OPS camp has moved the EC against Sasikala’s appointment as AIADMK general secretary. If the EC decides to rule against Sasikala, her decision to expel Panneerselvam from the party’s primary membership stands null and void.
Earlier today, Governor Vidyasagar Rao gave the mandate to Edappadi Palaniswami to form the government. The governor has asked him to seek a vote of confidence of the Tami Nadu Assembly within 15 days.
Meanwhile, at the Golden Bay Resorts, AIADMK supporters sloganeering in support of VK Sasikala.
12:33 The Raj Bhavan press release confirming Edappadi K Palaniswami as CM designate.
12:22 The man who will be CM: So, who is Edapadi Palanisami?
From an ordinary party member to the leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislature party, Edappadi K Palaniswami has come a long way.
Amid the bitter turf war between AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala and chief minister O Panneerselvam, the 63-year-old loyalist of late J Jayalalithaa was elected leader of AIADMK legislature party to facilitate his elevation as Tamil Nadu chief minister.
“He was an unwavering loyalist of late Jayalalithaa, and chose to side with V K Sasikala after O Panneerselvam revolted against the interim general secretary,” a close aide of Palaniswami told PTI.
Read more
12:18 The AIADMK makes it official.
12:18 TN Governor invites Sasikala’s pick Palanisami to form govt: Just in: Edapadi Palanisami to be sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM. Governor Vidyasagar Rao has invited Sasikala-nominee Palanisami to form the government and has given him 15 days to prove his majority. He will be sworn-in at 4 pm today at the Raj Bhavan, in a low-key affair.
The Sasikala camp has claimed the support of 124 MLAs and the governor has gone by numbers and not public sentiment, which is against the Palanisami camp.
11:47 The ancient story behind Sasikala’s promise of vengeance : There is a scene in Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan in which the loyalists of the Pandya king meet at midnight at Pallipadai temple — a temple raised over the body of the leader — and take a pledge to destroy the Cholas. The action of AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala slamming the memorial slab laid in honour of late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s Tuesday morning, invoked this ancient Tamil ritual of “Vanjinam Uraithal’ (Avenging). Read the full story here.
11:43 Palanisami reaches Raj Bhavan for meeting with governor : Sasikala nominee Edapadi Palanisami and four MLAs have reached Raj Bhavan. Governor Vidyasagar Rao invited Palanisami with four MLAs to Raj Bhavan at 11:30 today. However, reports say that this is not an invitation to form government. Ministers Jayakumar, KA Sengottaiyan, SP Velumani, TT Dinakaran (deputy general secretary and Sasikala’s nephew), KP Anbazhagan also part of Palanisami’s delegation at Raj Bhavan.
The Tamil Nadu Governor heard competing pitches last night from within the ruling party of the state over who should be the Chief Minister.
The governor first met with Palanisamy, who claimed the support of 124 MLAs. Next up was Panneerselvam, who said he had 11 MLAs.
Both want to take a trust vote in the legislature and presented the Governor with a list of legislators supporting them.
10:59 TN governor invites Sasikala nominee Palanisami for 11:30 meet : So it begins. Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao invites Sasikala’s CM pick Edapadi Palanisami for a meeting at 11:30 am. He will be accompanied by four MLAs.
The AIADMK tweeted: Honourable Governor invites AIADMK’s legislature party leader Thiru. Edapadi K.Palanisamy. #Amma’s Victory.
The governor met both teams — Edapadi Palanisami (claims support of 124 MLAs) and O Panneerselvam (claims support o 11 MLAs, but says most MLAs cloistered at the Golden Bay resort are actually on his side). The huge exodus he expected after Sasikala’s conviction has not happened as yet.
Team Sasikala has maintained that it will be invited by the governor to form government today and has accused the governor of “inordinate delay.” The AIADMK launched an online campaign yesterday asking the public to complain in writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the delay, which it alleges, allowed Panneerselvam to engineer defections.
The Hindu says that Palanisami might be invited to form the government as the the Governor was “more receptive” to their demands during the meeting last night.
Both sides want to take a trust vote in the legislature and presented the Governor with a list of legislators supporting them.
Setting aside on earlier Karnataka High Court order, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court earlier on Tuesday convicted AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala Natarajan in connection with a 19-year old disproportionate assets case.
She has been ordered to surrender to the law enforcement authorities immediately to serve the remainder of her four-year jail term. She also will not be able to contest elections for 10 years or hold public office.
File pic. Edapadi Palanisami with Governor Vidyasagar Rao
According to sources, Ashutosh Shukla, Dainik Jagran’s state editor in UP, wrote to the CEO Tuesday, clarifying that the editorial team of the newspaper had nothing to do with the decision to carry the exit poll. He also informed that the management had taken note of the “breach’ and Sharma was held responsible. Read more
10:15 Night on floor, tamarind rice for breakfast: Sasikala in jail : The morning after: AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, who is now known as prisoner number 9324 slept on the floor of her prison cell at Bengaluru Central jail.
She reached jail yesterday evening after a rebuke from the Supreme Court over her tardiness in surrendering to the court after she was convicted on Tuesday.
The 61-year-old chief of Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK is sharing a cell with two other women, one of them her sister-in-law Ilavarasi, who was also convicted by the Supreme Court in the same disproportionate assets case.
While Sasikala has asked for the facilities of a Class I prisoner — a television set, home-cooked food and non-vegetarian meals twice a week, a cot and a fan — she was refused the request. However, a decision on providing her a cot to sleep on will be taken by doctors today.
Jail officials told NDTV that Sasikala had a breakfast of tamarind rice with chutney and meditated for a few minutes.
Unconfirmed reports also say that she has been assigned candle-making in jail.
Sasikala has already spent three weeks in the same prison in 2014, along with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who was Accused No 1 in the case.
Sasikala, who took charge of the AIADMK after Jayalalithaa’s death in December has attempted to secure her hold over the party by inducting her family and loyalists in key positions. She picked loyalist E Palanisamy for Chief Ministerial candidate, and brought back two nephews who had been expelled by Jayalalithaa in 2011.
09:52 Neither OPS, nor Palanisamy called to form govt: Reports: News agency ANI quoting Raj Bhavan sources says as of now, neither O Panneerselvam nor Edapadi Palanisamy have been called to form government in Tamil Nadu.
This negates reports that Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is expected to decide by this afternoon who will take oath as Tamil Nadu’s next Chief Minister.
Reports, since last night, say it is likely that Palanisamy, the legislative assembly leader appointed by VK Sasikala before she was packed off to jail, will be asked to be CM.
The Governor first met Palanisamy and then OPS yesterday, with both sides staking claim to form government. Palanisamy has claimed support of 124 MLAs, while Panneerselvam has the support of 11. Both want to take a trust vote in the legislature and presented the Governor with a list of legislators supporting them.
Governor Rao, who was on Monday advised by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to convene a special session of the legislative assembly within a week for holding a composite floor test, is yet to take a call on whom to invite to form the government first or to go for a trial of strength in the assembly.
The Governor had earlier kept his decision pending as the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala, a claimant for chief ministership, was due to be announced by the Supreme Court, which delivered it on Tuesday, restoring her conviction and sentence, which shattered her hopes of occupying the top seat.
09:41 Trump calls for release of Venezuela opposition leader: US President Donald Trump has called on Venezuela to free jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez “immediately,” posting a picture of himself and Vice President Mike Pence with Lopez’s wife at the White House.
“Venezuela should allow Leopoldo Lopez, a political prisoner & husband of @liliantintori (just met w/ @marcorubio) out of prison immediately,” Trump tweeted, along with the photo (alongside), which also features Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Lopez, the founder of Popular Will, one of the most hardline of the parties opposing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is serving a 14-year prison term on charges of inciting unrest at anti-government protests that left 43 people dead in 2014.
The meeting with Tintori was sure to enrage Maduro, who is already fuming over sanctions slapped on his powerful Vice President Tareck El Aissami, whom US authorities accuse of being involved in drug trafficking.
08:35 Anil Ambani flies sortie in Rafale: Reliance Group’s Anil Ambani on Wednesday took to the skies for a sortie in the French Rafale fighter jet aircraft at the Aero India 2017 airshow at Yelahanka airbase Bengaluru.
The 30-minute sortie was a low level flight with a vertical climb starting from 1,000 feet going up to 6,000 metres and with supersonic run and multiple envelopes.
“This is a proud moment for any Indian to have flown the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. I look forward to an opportunity to make these aircraft under ‘Make in India’ and serve our Nation, the Air Force and Navy,” Ambani said.
Reliance Defence has set up a joint venture with Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation for the execution of offset obligations under the 36 Rafale aircraft deal for the Indian Air Force at a value of 7.87 billion euros or about Rs 59,000 crore.
Ambani, a regular marathoner with a strict fitness regime, was kitted in flying overalls, G suit, Arme de l’Air jacket torso harness, flying boots and helmet with oxygen mask, sources at the five-day show said.
Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo
08:17 Germany: Reports of ‘mass sexual assault by immigrants’ were ‘baseless’: A widely-reported story about a rioting sex mob of immigrants assaulting women on New Years Eve in Frankfurt, Germany, has been exposed as baseless after investigation by police.
The German newspaper Bild, which originally reported the claims, has apologised for what it said was a false report, which was based on the now disputed claims of a pub owner and some of their staff.
Read more
01:11 Iran will never get a N-bomb, Trump promises Israel:
President Donald Trump hailed the United States’ “unbreakable” bond with Israel today and promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran would never be permitted to build a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s vow was designed to address Israeli concerns over the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, which Netanyahu has warned expires too soon to permanently remove the threat.
“With this visit the United States, again, reaffirms our unbreakable bond with our cherished ally, Israel,” Trump said.
“The security challenges faced by Israel are enormous, including the threat of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which I’ve talked a lot about,” he said.
“One of the worst deals I’ve ever seen is the Iran deal. My administration has already imposed new sanctions on Iran, and I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing — I mean ever — a nuclear weapon.”
01:10 Yahoo issues new security warning to users:
Yahoo is warning users of potentially malicious activity on their accounts between 2015 and 2016.
It’s the latest development in the internet company’s investigation of a mega-breach that exposed 1 billion users’ data several years ago.
It’s not clear how many users were affected by the malicious activity, which involved the use of forged cookies — strings of data which can be used to allow people to access online accounts without re-entering their passwords.
Yahoo said in a statement that its investigation “has identified user accounts for which we believe forged cookies were taken or used. Yahoo is in the process of notifying all potentially affected account holders.”
The company declined to say how many people were potentially affected.
01:09 Flynn treated unfairly by the media Trump:
Two days after his National Security Advisor Gen (rtd) Michael Flynn resigned following reports that he has mislead him and Vice President Mike Pence on his talks with the Russian Ambassador, US President Donald Trump has said that Flynn was treated unfairly by the media.
“General Flynn is a wonderful man. I think he’s been treated very, very unfairly by the media, as I call it, the fake media in many cases. I think it’s really a sad thing that he was treated so badly,” Trump told reporters at a joint news conference with the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I think in addition to that from intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked, it’s criminal action,” he said.
Trump alleged that such illegal leaks are criminal act that has been going on for a long time.
“But now it’s really going on. People are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton,” he said.
“I think it’s very, very unfair what’s happened to General Flynn, the way he was treated and the documents and papers that were illegally — I stress that, illegally leaked. Very, very unfair,” Trump said.
Source: Rediff