Earthquake strikes Greek island, two dead

Athens: A strong earthquake registering 6.0 on the Richter scale struck the Greek island of Lefkada on Tuesday, killing two people and damaging roads and buildings. A woman in her sixties was killed by a falling rock caused by a landslide on her house in the village of Ponti Vassilikis, the island's deputy mayor Christos Kaliforis told Vima radio. Another woman was killed in the village of Athani, he said. AFP

Oxford Dictionary picks emoticon as word of the year 

London: For the first time, Oxford Dictionary has chosen an emoji pictograph, commonly referred to as an emoticon, as its 2015 Word of the Year after it made history due to its popularity on social media and instant messaging. Experts said the symbol "embodies a core aspect of living in a digital world that is visually driven, emotionally expressive, and obsessively immediate". It is the first time the list has included an entry that is not a word. PTI

States cannot backtrack on taking in refugees: UN

Geneva: The United Nations on Tuesday called on states not to "backtrack" on pledges made to host migrants and refugees, including from Syria, in the wake of the attacks in Paris. "We are concerned about the reactions from some states to end programmes being put in place, backtracking from commitments made to manage the refugee crisis," said UN refugee agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming. AFP

Israel bans Islamist group as tensions flare 

Jerusalem: Israel on Tuesday outlawed the Islamic Movement to "stop dangerous incitement" and "terror" at the iconic Al-Aqsa mosque here by the radical group which the Jewish state alleges instigated the recent violence that has killed nearly 100 people, both Israelis and Palestinians. PTI