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Police Arrest 3 More Over Alleged German Cologne Cathedral Attack Plot

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Police Arrest 3 More Over Alleged German Cologne Cathedral Attack Plot

No details were given on the identity or background of the people now in custody.

Police on Sunday detained three further suspects in an alleged Islamist plot to attack Germany’s famed Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.

The alleged attackers had planned to use a car to attack the 800-year-old Gothic edifice by the Rhine river, Cologne police director Frank Wissbaum told a news conference.

The method of the planned attack was unclear, but an underground car park below the cathedral had been searched with explosives sniffer dogs overnight, he told reporters.

“The three people are now securely in custody, which we are very glad about since they can no longer communicate with each other,” he said.

Wissbaum said investigators had found evidence late on Saturday that linked the three to a 30-year-old Tajik man with alleged ties to the Islamic State militant movement, who has been in custody since Dec. 24.

Federal authorities were continuing their investigation into what he termed a “network of individuals” from Central Asia with links to several German states and European countries.

No details were given on the identity or background of the people now in custody.

The suspects were detained in the western cities of Duisburg, Herne and Noervenich, police said, and communications devices were seized during searches of their apartments.

Security has been stepped up in and around the cathedral ahead of a New Year’s Eve service. Police warned the public not to be concerned if they saw officers carrying machine guns and body armour.

Thousands of extra police are also patrolling in Berlin, where celebrations last year were overshadowed by violent clashes, with revelers barracking first responders attempting to reach the sick.

Police in the capital are also on guard after a pro-Palestinian solidarity demonstration scheduled for midnight was banned. Many Muslims in Germany are unhappy with the support shown for Tel Aviv in its war against Hamas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India

Unclaimed Bag Triggers Bomb Scare At Mumbai Railway Station

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Unclaimed Bag Triggers Bomb Scare At Mumbai Railway Station

After a thorough check by the BDDS and dog squad, nothing suspicious was found in the bag.

Mumbai (Maharashtra):

An unidentified bag triggered a bomb scare among the commuters at the Vasai Road Railway Station on Sunday evening.

According to the Western Railway, “There was a stir at Vasai station after an unclaimed bag was found lying in the ladies’ coach of a local train.”

Subsequently, a Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and Dog Squad arrived at the spot.

Panic gripped the passengers of the train and other commuters for over 45 minutes.

After a thorough check by the BDDS and dog squad, nothing suspicious was found in the bag.

As per a railway officer, the bag belonged to a passenger and was found lying unclaimed because the passenger left it in the ladies’ coach.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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‘We put our heart to deliver best’: Prabhas on ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ success

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Despite a massive box office clash with Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Dunki’, the Prabhas and Prithviraj starrer performed well at the box office.

Updated On – 05:18 PM, Sun – 31 December 23


‘We put our heart to deliver best’: Prabhas on ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire’ success


Mumbai: The action thriller film ‘Salaar: Part 1-Ceasefire,’ starring actor Prabhas, has gained widespread acclaim and the film is being lauded for its storytelling, presentation, characters, and the canvas that is being put up in the magnificent realm of Khansaar.

‘Salaar: Part 1-Ceasefire’ is unstoppable at the box office, breaking a new global record by crossing Rs 500 crore.’ Rebel star Prabhas expressed gratitude to his fans for their overwhelming support for ‘Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire.’

In response to the film’s success, Prabhas said, “I am deeply grateful and humbled by the immense love and support given by the audience. Witnessing Salaar’s fantastic run at the box office has been nothing but an incredible reward for me and my entire team. Every single person involved in the project has put out their heart to deliver their best and we are thrilled to see the positive impact it has had on the viewers.” Helmed by ‘KGF 2’ director Prashanth Neel, ‘Salaar: Part 1- Ceasefire’ stars Prabhas, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Shruti Haasan in the lead roles.

The movie also marks the biggest collaboration between KGF director Prashanth Neel and ‘Baahubali’ star Prabhas, who are coming together for the first time to create the mega action-packed cinematic spectacle.

Prabhas plays the titular character of Salaar in the film, along with an ensemble cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, and Jagapathi Babu. The movie was produced by Vijay Kiragandur under Hombale Films.

Despite a massive box office clash with Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Dunki’, the Prabhas and Prithviraj starrer performed well at the box office.

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Looking Back At Novak Djokovic's Record-Breaking 2023 Season

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Novak Djokovic demonstrated to the world that he is not just one of the great four in tennis but also the best in terms of pure statistics and being the ultimate beast on the court. Djokovic, playing some of his best tennis at 36, can officially declare 2023 as his year as he ended on the top of the ATP Year-End World No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time and officially became the first man to win 24 Grand Slam titles.

He has tied Margaret Court for the most ever of any player in any era. The record 24-time Grand Slam champion has scripted many historic records to his name.

It was a record-breaking year, from the Brisbane International in January to representing Serbia in the Davis Cup in November, with a calendar grand slam apparently within grasp. While he failed to replicate Rod Laver and Don Budge’s record, he did claim many other records as his own.

In 2023, Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal by winning three Grand Slams, giving him a total of 24 Major trophies. The Serbian came near to winning a calendar slam but was stopped by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon. Only two men have ever won a calendar slam: Don Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969.

Djokovic won his 40th ATP Masters title as he bagged the Paris Masters crown. Nadal holds the second position in the list with 36 victories, while Roger Federer has 28. The Serbian also won the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, defeating Carlos Alcaraz after coming back from a set down. Djokovic is also the only player to have won all nine masters titles since the tournament’s start in 1990.

With six ATP Finals championships, he was tied with Roger Federer for the most. In 2023, he surpassed the Swiss legend by winning his seventh title in Turin, defeating local star Jannik Sinner. His 71st ‘Big Title’ – a combination of Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, ATP Finals, and Olympic singles gold – was also won.

Only an Olympic gold medal remains elusive for the world number one. Serbia’s finest Olympic achievement was a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008.

The 36-year-old Serbian was involved in a back-and-forth battle for the title of world number one at the end of the year. Despite Alcaraz’s challenge, Djokovic prevailed. In the first round of the ATP Finals, he defeated Holger Rune to claim his eighth ATP year-end no. 1.

Djokovic has the most year-end finishes at the top of the ATP rankings, with six, followed by Pete Sampras. With five, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Jimmy Connors are tied for third place.

After winning the ATP Finals in November, the 24-time Grand Slam champion began his 400th week as world no. 1 in the ATP Rankings, adding another feather to his crown. Earlier this year, he broke Steffi Graf’s record of 377 weeks at world number one, being the only player in either gender to do it. Federer holds the record for the most consecutive weeks as world number one, with 237 weeks.

Djokovic is on his way to winning his 100th title; he now has 98. Only Roger Federer (103 points) and Jimmy Connors (109 points) are ahead of him.

Meanwhile, India’s star player Rohan Bopanna went about his job quietly throughout 2023, becoming a sports icon and achieving World No. 3 in the doubles rankings. Bopanna, together with Australian Matthew Edben, reached heights that few Indians have attained, and this at the age of 43, when most players retire.

Bopanna was rated 19th in the world at the start of the year, but has already risen 16 places. They reached the ATP Finals and advanced to the tournament’s semi-finals thanks to their higher ranking.

Notably, after not competing in international tennis since the Australian Open, the 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will be returning to the tennis court at Brisbane International which begins in the first week of January 2024.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Middle East

Palestinian FM condemns Israel's ethnic cleansing, calls for Gaza ceasefire in New Year message

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The Palestinian foreign minister has issued a New Year message, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli regime has been waging a genocidal war for more than two months.

The call was made through a Sunday post on the official account of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on X social media platform.

At the beginning of his message, Riad al-Malki welcomed the New Year and “the 59th anniversary of the start of the Palestinian revolution.”

“…the wounds of our people are bleeding due to #Israeli war machine’s persistence in the war of #genocide, destruction, and #displacement,” Malki said.

He added, “…killings, destruction, displacement, #starvation, the spread of epidemics, invasions, arrests, and torture, all of which are crimes of #ethnic_cleansing, [are] dominating the daily lives of Palestinian citizens.”

“We reaffirm our demand at the beginning of this year for an immediate ceasefire,” the top diplomat asserted.

Malki concluded his message by hoping for the upcoming year “to be the year when the Palestinian people obtain their fair and legitimate national rights to return, self-determination, and the embodiment of the Palestinian state on the ground” with East al-Quds as its capital.”

His call came as a global grassroots campaign has been launched to press for turning the traditional New Year’s countdown across the globe into a countdown to immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

As the death toll keeps mounting in the coastal territory due to Israel’s relentless attacks, Countdown2Ceasefire has called for global countdown events, from Southeast Asia to Latin America, in support of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza , .

The Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 following an operation by the territory’s resistance movements, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm. Close to 22,000 people, most of them women and children, have been killed in the regime’s military campaign so far.

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Painful Surgeries, Passing Notes: How Siblings Survived Hamas Captivity

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Painful Surgeries, Passing Notes: How Israel Siblings Survived Hamas Captivity

From the hospital Maya wrote her brother and Omer a note and asked it be delivered.

Jerusalem:

Israeli Maya Regev lay badly wounded in a nondescript house in Gaza, her leg mangled from a gunshot, under orders not to make a sound.

The 21-year-old begged her captors to let her younger brother Itay, who was being held in a room nearby, join her while the bandages on her leg were replaced.

It was days after Hamas Islamists rampaged through southern Israel in a killing and hostage-taking spree on Oct. 7 that triggered the war in Gaza. The siblings were shot and wounded as they tried to flee an outdoor music festival turned killing field. They were thrown into a pickup and taken away with their friend, Omer Shem Tov.

“Itay and Omer walk in. And they began removing the bandages. And I’m screaming and Omer is holding my hand and covering my mouth,” a tearful Maya recalled during an interview with Uvda, a current-affairs programme on Israel’s Channel 12 TV.

Itay, 18, told how days earlier a “scared and sweaty doctor” painfully removed the bullet from his leg without anaesthesia, while he was instructed to remain quiet or be killed.

Maya’s injury was more severe and she says she was eventually snuck into a Gaza hospital. Her dangling foot was re-attached in surgery, but sideways, at an unnatural angle. She gave her interview in a wheelchair, her leg in a cast.

The Regev siblings were among more than 100 hostages freed in a week-long ceasefire in late November. Shem Tov remains in captivity with nearly 130 others. Some have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.

While being treated in the hospital, Maya said she was kept near another wounded Israeli hostage, Guy Iluz. The two spoke about returning home – what they would do, what they would eat. But Iluz died in the hospital.

“At first I refused to believe. Before they took him away I said I have to see, like, that it’s really him. I have the duty to go speak to his family when this is over. I’m the only person who knew what really happened to him.”

Itay said that he and Omer in the meantime were taken to a different house, forced to dress as Muslim women so they wouldn’t be recognized as they walked in the dark of night.

From the hospital Maya wrote her brother and Omer a note and asked it be delivered. She said she argued with her captors, demanding that she hear back.

Itay received it.

“They came one time with a note, a note from Maya, in which she wrote me where she is, what she is going through. She said she loves me, asked me to stay strong, for the family, for everyone,” he said.

He sent a response.

“They brought me a note that they (Itay and Omer) wrote me, and I knew it was really from them because I recognized the handwriting and my brother called me by my nickname,” Maya said.

Itay calls his sister patcha.

“It was a light, a small light in all the darkness, that I hear from my little brother and from Omer, that I understand they are ok.”

They continued corresponding.

“Those notes gave so much strength, like in the small moment that I feel a bit like I am diving into bad thoughts, I just held Maya’s note, read it like ten times, and it would give me strength,” Itay said.

Since the brief ceasefire, Israel has pushed ahead with its devastating campaign in Gaza, saying that military pressure is needed to free the remaining hostages.

Israel’s air and artillery bombardment has killed more than 21,800 people according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, with many more feared dead in the rubble, and pushed nearly all its 2.3 million people from their homes. Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been trying to broker a deal that would include a pause in the fighting and the release of more hostages.

Itay was separated from his friend, only to find out later he had been included in the list of hostages to be freed.

“If I had known I was going home, I can tell you that probably I wouldn’t agree to leave without Omer,” he said.

Their story is not over yet, he added. “Even though Maya and I are home, Omer is still there.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Cows, Gold Rings, Treadmill: Nitish Kumar Owns Assets Worth Rs 1.64 Crore

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Cows, Gold Rings, Treadmill: Nitish Kumar Owns Assets Worth Rs 1.64 Crore

The only immovable property that he has is an apartment in Dwarka in New Delhi.

Patna:

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar owns assets worth Rs 1.64 crore, according to his latest public disclosure. According to details of the assets of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues posted on the Cabinet Secretariat Department’s website on Sunday evening, Mr Kumar has Rs 22,552 in cash, and deposits of Rs 49,202 in different bank accounts.

He also has a Ford Ecosport car worth Rs 11.32 lakh, two gold rings and a silver ring worth Rs 1.28 lakh, and other movable assets such as 13 cows and 10 calfs worth Rs 1.45 lakh, a treadmill, an exercise cycle and a microwave oven.

The only immovable property that he has is an apartment in Dwarka in New Delhi, which cost him Rs 13.78 lakh in 2004, and is now worth Rs 1.48 crore.

Last year, Mr Kumar had declared total assets of Rs 75.53 lakh. A comparison of the two disclosures showed that the jump in the value of assets was primarily due to the rise in the worth of his Delhi apartment.

Mr Kumar’s government has made it mandatory for all cabinet ministers to disclose their assets and liabilities on the last day of every calendar year.

Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav declared a total income of Rs 4.74 lakh for the 2022-23 financial year. His elder brother Tej Pratap, who is also a minister in the state government, has assets worth Rs 3.58 crore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Painful Surgeries, Passing Notes: How Israel Siblings Survived Hamas Captivity

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Painful Surgeries, Passing Notes: How Israel Siblings Survived Hamas Captivity

From the hospital Maya wrote her brother and Omer a note and asked it be delivered.

Jerusalem:

Israeli Maya Regev lay badly wounded in a nondescript house in Gaza, her leg mangled from a gunshot, under orders not to make a sound.

The 21-year-old begged her captors to let her younger brother Itay, who was being held in a room nearby, join her while the bandages on her leg were replaced.

It was days after Hamas Islamists rampaged through southern Israel in a killing and hostage-taking spree on Oct. 7 that triggered the war in Gaza. The siblings were shot and wounded as they tried to flee an outdoor music festival turned killing field. They were thrown into a pickup and taken away with their friend, Omer Shem Tov.

“Itay and Omer walk in. And they began removing the bandages. And I’m screaming and Omer is holding my hand and covering my mouth,” a tearful Maya recalled during an interview with Uvda, a current-affairs programme on Israel’s Channel 12 TV.

Itay, 18, told how days earlier a “scared and sweaty doctor” painfully removed the bullet from his leg without anaesthesia, while he was instructed to remain quiet or be killed.

Maya’s injury was more severe and she says she was eventually snuck into a Gaza hospital. Her dangling foot was re-attached in surgery, but sideways, at an unnatural angle. She gave her interview in a wheelchair, her leg in a cast.

The Regev siblings were among more than 100 hostages freed in a week-long ceasefire in late November. Shem Tov remains in captivity with nearly 130 others. Some have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.

While being treated in the hospital, Maya said she was kept near another wounded Israeli hostage, Guy Iluz. The two spoke about returning home – what they would do, what they would eat. But Iluz died in the hospital.

“At first I refused to believe. Before they took him away I said I have to see, like, that it’s really him. I have the duty to go speak to his family when this is over. I’m the only person who knew what really happened to him.”

Itay said that he and Omer in the meantime were taken to a different house, forced to dress as Muslim women so they wouldn’t be recognized as they walked in the dark of night.

From the hospital Maya wrote her brother and Omer a note and asked it be delivered. She said she argued with her captors, demanding that she hear back.

Itay received it.

“They came one time with a note, a note from Maya, in which she wrote me where she is, what she is going through. She said she loves me, asked me to stay strong, for the family, for everyone,” he said.

He sent a response.

“They brought me a note that they (Itay and Omer) wrote me, and I knew it was really from them because I recognized the handwriting and my brother called me by my nickname,” Maya said.

Itay calls his sister patcha.

“It was a light, a small light in all the darkness, that I hear from my little brother and from Omer, that I understand they are ok.”

They continued corresponding.

“Those notes gave so much strength, like in the small moment that I feel a bit like I am diving into bad thoughts, I just held Maya’s note, read it like ten times, and it would give me strength,” Itay said.

Since the brief ceasefire, Israel has pushed ahead with its devastating campaign in Gaza, saying that military pressure is needed to free the remaining hostages.

Israel’s air and artillery bombardment has killed more than 21,800 people according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, with many more feared dead in the rubble, and pushed nearly all its 2.3 million people from their homes. Qatari and Egyptian mediators have been trying to broker a deal that would include a pause in the fighting and the release of more hostages.

Itay was separated from his friend, only to find out later he had been included in the list of hostages to be freed.

“If I had known I was going home, I can tell you that probably I wouldn’t agree to leave without Omer,” he said.

Their story is not over yet, he added. “Even though Maya and I are home, Omer is still there.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Jamie Dornan was ‘stalked’ during ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’

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As per ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Dornan revealed that he has also been in some frightening situations that have impacted his family.

Published Date – 05:36 PM, Sun – 31 December 23


Jamie Dornan was ‘stalked’ during ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’


Los Angeles: Actor Jamie Dornan has opened up about how he handles pressure from fans and revealed a “scary” experience he had with a stalker.

After starring in the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ trilogy, based on E.L. James’ novels, the actor found himself at the centre of the fandom, including fan-created conspiracies about him and his co-star Dakota Johnson, reports ‘The Hollywood Reporter’.

Dornan recently told ‘The Independent’ that he, “tried to put walls up around (the fans), to really try and not let that in”.

He said, “I’m pretty good at just blocking any of the noise associated with whatever fandom is, not letting it affect me, or more importantly my family.”

As per ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Dornan revealed that he has also been in some frightening situations that have impacted his family.

He said: “I had a situation, a stalker-type situation before Covid. That was f*cking scary. Someone turned up at my house when my kids were there. The more I can block that out, the better it is for me and the family.”

Following the attention he got from the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey films’, Dornan now knows he prefers a balance when it comes to taking on high-profile projects, one where he can still have somewhat of a “normal life”.

“There’s never going to be anything like ‘Fifty Shades’ again,” the actor said. “It felt very much like its own thing, particularly because it focused on and around sex. But there are obviously other jobs that bring insane scrutiny, like superhero stuff, or fucking James Bond any of that stuff. I’ve done pretty well to avoid that sort of s*** so far.”

India

Police Arrest 3 More Over Alleged German Cologne Cathedral Attack Plot

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Police Arrest 3 More Over Alleged German Cologne Cathedral Attack Plot

No details were given on the identity or background of the people now in custody.

Police on Sunday detained three further suspects in an alleged Islamist plot to attack Germany’s famed Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.

The alleged attackers had planned to use a car to attack the 800-year-old Gothic edifice by the Rhine river, Cologne police director Frank Wissbaum told a news conference.

The method of the planned attack was unclear, but an underground car park below the cathedral had been searched with explosives sniffer dogs overnight, he told reporters.

“The three people are now securely in custody, which we are very glad about since they can no longer communicate with each other,” he said.

Wissbaum said investigators had found evidence late on Saturday that linked the three to a 30-year-old Tajik man with alleged ties to the Islamic State militant movement, who has been in custody since Dec. 24.

Federal authorities were continuing their investigation into what he termed a “network of individuals” from Central Asia with links to several German states and European countries.

No details were given on the identity or background of the people now in custody.

The suspects were detained in the western cities of Duisburg, Herne and Noervenich, police said, and communications devices were seized during searches of their apartments.

Security has been stepped up in and around the cathedral ahead of a New Year’s Eve service. Police warned the public not to be concerned if they saw officers carrying machine guns and body armour.

Thousands of extra police are also patrolling in Berlin, where celebrations last year were overshadowed by violent clashes, with revelers barracking first responders attempting to reach the sick.

Police in the capital are also on guard after a pro-Palestinian solidarity demonstration scheduled for midnight was banned. Many Muslims in Germany are unhappy with the support shown for Tel Aviv in its war against Hamas.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)