Indian Sub-continent

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 (APP): The Ambassador of Norway was called to the Foreign office on Saturday to convey the deep concern of the government and people of Pakistan over the incident of desecration of the Holy Quran in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand.

“Pakistan’s condemnation of this action was reiterated. It was underscored that such actions hurt the sentiments of 1.3 billion Muslims around the world, including those in Pakistan. Furthermore, such actions could not be justified in the name of freedom of expression,” the Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23 (NNN-APP) — Pakistani Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Muhammad Hammad Azhar, said that, the World Bank (WB) has reinstated budgetary support to Pakistan, due to economic stability in the country.

“The World Bank has restored budgetary support to Pakistan on account of strengthening of economic stability,” said the minister, adding that, both the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and WB had suspended budgetary support to Pakistan in 2017, due to rising macroeconomic imbalances that had arisen in the country’s economy at the time.

COLOMBO, Nov 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on Friday, appointed a new 16-member cabinet, which will function till the next parliamentary election is announced.

The new ministers took oaths in front of the president at the Presidential Secretariat in the capital, Colombo.

Former President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed as new prime minister was appointed as the new minister of Finance, Economic Affairs, Policy Development, Buddha Sasana, Cultural, Water Supply and Urban Development and Housing Affairs.

KABUL, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has become a member of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on its website on Saturday.

"At the UNESCO's General Conference-40th Session that started on Nov. 12, 2019 at its Headquarters in Paris; Member States elected new members of the Executive Board for a four year term," the report said.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Nov 23 (PTI) A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth in a sugarcane field at Bhikka Majra village in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said on Saturday.

According to Babri station house officer Nem Chand, the incident happened on Friday and police registered a case against Sikander Singh (21) after the victim's grandmother lodged a complaint.

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) NCP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the decision of his nephew Ajit Pawar to join hands with the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra was an act of indiscipline and attracts provisions of anti-defection law.

Pawar was addressing a joint press conference with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray here.

"Ajit Pawar's decision is an act of indiscipline. No NCP worker is in favour of the NCP-BJP government. NCP MLAs who support the BJP should know this move attracts provisions of anti-defection law," he said.

Kanpur: Jajmau has two petrol pumps which help the residents to get their vehicles filled with petrol or diesel. But the consumers remain annoyed with the way the attendants weigh the quantity of petrol or diesel. The vehicle owners who flock the petrol pumps always face some problem. 

Etah (UP), Nov 22 (PTI) A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her father in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district, police said on Friday.

The incident took place when the girl, living with her maternal grandparents, went to visit her father at his house to see her ailing grandmother on November 18, ASP Sanjay Kumar said.

According to the FIR filed by the victim's maternal grandfather, she told her mother about the incident after returning home.

Panaji, Nov 22 (PTI) A Goa court on Friday granted bail to suspended swimming coach Surajit Ganguly accused of raping a minor girl in September this year.

Ganguly, employed at the time with Goa Swimming Association, was accused of rape by a 15-year-old girl training under him.

Imphal, November 22 (PTI) Two CRPF personnel on patrolling duty were injured in a bomb explosion by unidentified persons in Manipur's Imphal West District on Friday, a senior police official said.

The bomb explosion took place at Thangmeiban Lilasing Khongnangkhong on Friday at around 5.20 pm, the official said.