Evening News Wrap: Top stories 15 January in a capsule
STORY OF THE DAY
3 districts, 3 victims, 3 gangrapes: Haryana in 24 hours
Three cases of rape were registered in the state of Haryana in a matter of 24 hours, with two of them involving minors who were murdered in the course.
13th January, Friday: A 15 year old from Jind was abducted for two days, before the police found her body on Sunday with her private parts been brutally assaulted with foreign objects. The victim, who was returning home from her tuition had gone on Friday evening, until her body was found in a water canal, 100 metes away from Jind. 19 marks of injury were found on the body… there were signs of struggle and 3-4 people were involved,” PGI Rohtak said. Meanwhile, 12 people have been detained in connection to the crime.
14th January, Saturday: In another case, an 11 year old was kidnapped in Panipat while she was out to throw garbageand killed, and then gangraped. Police reported that the clothes of the Class 7 student was burnt by the criminals, to destroy evidence. Pradeep Kumar, 28 and Sagar,22, who were neighbors of the victim confessed to the crime.
15th January, Sunday: A 23-year-old was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by four men in a moving car for two hours in Faridabad, on Sunday. The victim was later ‘thrown’ 10kms away, in Ballabhgarh. “The four accused have not been arrested yet, we are examining the CCTV footage,” said Pooja Dabla, SIT head in the case.
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Diesel prices at record high at 61.74/litre, Petrol crosses 71/litre
Diesel prices on Monday reached record highs as international oil prices continue to rally. Petrol price rose to Rs 71.18 per litre in Delhi today, the highest since August 2014, according to daily fuel price list of state-owned oil firms. Diesel prices soared to their highest level of Rs 61.74 per litre in Delhi. It is being sold at Rs 65.74 in Mumbai, where the local sales tax or VAT rates are higher.
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7 Pak soldiers killed, 4 JeM terrorists neutralised
In a major feat for the Indian Army on the occasion of the 70th Army Day, seven Pakistani soldiers were killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch. The move was termed a ‘retaliatory action’ for the death of an Indian soldier in Pakistani firing in Rajouri, on Sunday. Moreover, four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were also neutralized in a separate encounter in Uri district, foiling an infiltration plan. Addressing an audience on Army Day, Army Chief Bipin Rawat said, "If we are forced, then we may resort to 'other action' by stepping up military offensive."
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The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s death. In a book written by the group’s senior leader, “Bomber Bilal first fired at Benazir Bhutto from his pistol and the bullet hit her neck. Then he detonated his explosive jacket and blew himself up among the participants of the procession”. The book further says the Taliban were also involved in an attack by two suicide bombers on an earlier procession by Bhutto in Karachi in October 2007, which killed nearly 140 people.
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Taliban claims responsibility for Benazir Bhutto’s death
The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s death. In a book written by the group’s senior leader, “Bomber Bilal first fired at Benazir Bhutto from his pistol and the bullet hit her neck. Then he detonated his explosive jacket and blew himself up among the participants of the procession”. The book further says the Taliban were also involved in an attack by two suicide bombers on an earlier procession by Bhutto in Karachi in October 2007, which killed nearly 140 people.
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India-Israel sign 9 pacts, boost to cybersecurity, defense
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Aadhaar to have facial recognisation as new security measure
Adding another layer of security for its users, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced facial recognition. “The facility will help those who are not able to authenticate due to worn our fingerprints or old age, the UIDAI said in an statement. However the step will be available only in ‘fusion mode’, meaning it will be used only with another existing mode of authentication. The facility will be rolled out by 1 July, 2018.
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36 dead as double suicide bombings rocks Baghdad
At least 38 people were killed and 90 were injured as twin suicide bombings attacks ricked central Baghdad on Monday. The blasts were carried out by two suicide bombers at the Al Tayaran Square, which is a crowded intersection linking Easter Baghdad to Jumariyah bridge. The event has followed a series of deadly bombings that have taken place in the city since Saturday. On Saturday, a number of people were killed in a suicide bombing near Aden Square, north of Baghdad and eight people were killed in a similar attack on Sunday in the al-Tarmiyah area, northern Baghdad.
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Sensex Nifty on record high, banking stocks gain
Indian equity benchmark s closed on fresh lifetime highs on Monday led by a raise in banking stocks. BSE Sensex zoomed 251 points to close at new peak of 34,843, while Nifty surged 60 points to end at record 10,741. On an intraday basis, the Sensex gained over 370 points, while the Nifty surged 100 points. Global rally, economic factors, gain in financials, pre-Budget speculation and technical factors also helped the market gains. HDFC and ICICI Bank were the top gainers on both indices, while Hero MotoCorp, GAIL, Eicher Motors and Tata Motors DVR lost the most.
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Indonesia stock market floor collapses, 70 injured
More than 70 people were injured when a floor at the Indonesia stock exchange collapsed onto the building’s lobby on Monday. "The accident happened at the first floor ... It's a floor where many employees pass through. There are some victims but they have been taken to a nearby hospital, the police spokesperson said. The exchange resumed business in the afternoon.
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HDFC crosses 3 trillion in market capitalization for the first time
Shares of Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) crossed rupees three trillion in market capitalization for the first time on Monday as its shares surged 6.7%. This rally was due to the recent announcement made by the bank to raise rupees 13,000 crores through qualified institutional investment (QIP) and preference issue. Currently, RIL is India’s most valued company with a market capitalization of Rs6 trillion, followed by TCS and HDFC Bank at Rs5.28 trillion and Rs4.92 trillion, respectively.
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India at rank 30 in Global manufacturing Index
The world economic forum ranked India at number 30 in the global manufacturing Index, much below China’s 5th rank. Japan tops the list, followed by South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, China and the US. About India, the 5th-largest manufacturer in the world with a total manufacturing value added of over USD 420 billion in 2016, the WEF said the country’s manufacturing sector has grown by over 7 per cent per year since the last thirty years.
