GK NEWSLETTER - ISSUE XXI - 16th March, 2015
Iraqi forces to liberate Tikrit within 72 hours.
Iraqi security forces fighting to free the besieged city of Tikrit plan to clear it of Islamic State (IS) militants
within 72 hours, a militia spokesman said.
The city 'will be liberated within 72 hours,' said Karim al-Nouri, a leading figure of the Shia party Badr
Organisation and the spokesman of the government-backed militia of al-Hashed al-Shaabi, in the town of
Awja, south of Tikrit.
Since 10th March, 2015, the Iraqi troops and government-backed Shia and Sunni militias have carried out
a major offensive to free Tikrit and gained some ground in the city, which lies some 170 km north of Iraq's
capital Baghdad.
Read more: https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/iraqi-forces-recapture-tikrit-within-72-hours-104312051.html
North Korea fires seven surface-to-air missiles into sea.
North Korea fired seven surface-to- air missiles into the sea off its east coast in an operation supervised
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by leader Kim Jong-Un at a time of heightened military tensions, South Korea's Defence Ministry said.
A ministry spokesman said Kim was understood to have been on hand when the rockets were fired last
evening from a site near the eastern town of Sondok.
The exercise came at a time of elevated tensions with North Korea's condemnation of annual US-South
Korea military drills that Pyongyang views as rehearsals for invasion.
Read more: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/n-korea-fires-seven-surface-to-air-missilesinto-sea-115031300397_1.html
UK to join China-Backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Britain said it will seek to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB),
a new regional body backed by China that has raised concerns in the United States about governance
standards.
The AIIB was launched in Beijing last year to spur transportation, energy, telecommunication and other
investment. Britain, the first major Western country to apply to become an AIIB member, would meet
other founding members this month to agree on the principles of the bank's governance and accountability
arrangements, the ministry said.
Read more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-announces-plans-to-join-asian-infrastructure-investmentbank
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Solar Impulse 2 sets distance record.
Solar Impulse 2 has broken a distance record for solar-powered planes as part of its bid to be the first to
circumnavigate the globe powered solely by the sun.
By the time it arrived in Ahmedabad, in western India, the plane had flown 1,468 kilometres (912 miles),
the flight's organisers said. Solar Impulse project chairman and co-pilot Bertrand Piccard was at the
controls.
Read more: http://www.gizmag.com/solar-impulse-distance-record/36486/
Srikanth wins Swiss Open title
Young Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth clinched the Swiss Grand Prix Gold championship title after
overcoming a strong challenge from Viktor Alexson in a hard-fought men's singles final at Basel on 15th
March, 2015.
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World No. 4 Srikanth showed nerves of steel to prevail over his Danish opponent, ranked sixth in the
world, in the thrilling summit clash of the event.
Srikanth, who created a major upset in the final of the 2014 China Open Super Series Premier by beating
five-time World champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan, kept his nerves to make a strong
comeback.
Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/badminton/Kidambi-Srikanth-wins-Swiss-Open-title/
articleshow/46574129.cms
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