Quicktakes — Jolt for rebel AIADMK

CHENNAI, DEC 12: THE rebel AIADMK, led by S Thirunavukkarassu, on Friday suffered yet another blow with its joint general secretary KKSSR R...

CHENNAI, DEC 12: THE rebel AIADMK, led by S Thirunavukkarassu, on Friday suffered yet another blow with its joint general secretary KKSSR Ramachandran, along with his supporters, deciding to leave the party to join the DMK. Only recently, prominent leaders of the party – S Muthusamy, S Kannappan and C Aranganayagam – had left to rejoin the AIADMK.

Heathrow blaze

LONDON: A BLAZE swept through the main terminal at London’s Heathrow airport early Friday, causing extensive damage and bringing chaos to the world’s busiest international airport. About 100 fire-fighters managed to control the fire, which broke out around 1010 hrs (IST) in a fast-food restaurant at Terminal one. The fire had been extinguished.

Farmers’ stir

AURANGABAD: POLICE fired 28 rounds in the air, bombed five tear gas shells and resorted to lathi charge when activists of the Shetkari Sanghatana agitating for higher price for cotton, turned violent and began pelting stones at the police at Kajala village near Ambad tehsil in Jalna on Friday afternoon.