Indian Sub-continent

Muzaffarnagar, Nov 21 (PTI) An Uttar Pradesh court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping his 17-year-old step-daughter after her mother died.

The Baghpat additional district and sessions judge Shailendra Pandey also slapped a fine of Rs 53,000 on Wednesday on Mahendra Kumar for the crime.

Kumar was arrested for raping his step-daughter in Baghpat in 2018 and he has been in jail since then, according to the prosecution.

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) The opposition Congress on Thursday protested in Lok Sabha against privatisation of a few PSUs, including Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and issuance of electoral bonds, terming the move as "big scams".

However, Congress members returned to their seats after the protests and sloganeering in the Well of the House for about 15 minutes when Speaker Om Birla assured them that they will be allowed to raise issues during Zero Hour.

New Delhi, 20 Nov 2019, GANASHAKTI: Former Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur on Tuesday warned that unless new Chief Justice of India SA Bobde restores the top court’s credibility and stature urgently, it could lead to the death knell of the independence of the judiciary.

Critical of some of the recent verdicts and administrative decisions of the top court, Lokur in an article for the Hindustan Times said “our judges need to show some backbone and spine, particularly in dealing with issues of personal liberty”.

Chandigarh, November 20, GANASHAKTI: “ It is more than 100 days for the lockdown of Kashmir. The economy of the state has been totally shattered. The apple crop has been worst affected. Apple growers have suffered a loss of more than 10 thousand crores of rupees. Tourism industry is shut up. In absence of internet there can be no tourism business. The daily wagers are the worst affected.

Kabul, Nov 20 (AP/PTI) The US forces in Afghanistan in a statement says that two US service members have been killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

The statement says Wednesday that the cause of the crash is under investigation, however preliminary reports do not indicate it was caused by enemy fire.

It added further that in accordance with US Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members killed in action are being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete.

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday hit out at the government over Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reported remarks that Air India and Bharat Petroleum Corporation could be sold by March, alleging the BJP is making India's best organisations hollow and then selling them.

Her attack comes days after Sitharaman reportedly said the government was looking to wrap up the sale of state-run Air India and oil refiner and marketer BPCL by March 2020.

Jaipur, Nov 19 (PTI) The ruling Congress was leading on Tuesday afternoon in most of the 49 civic bodies in Rajasthan where elections were held last week to elect more than 2,000 councillors.

As per the state election department data available till 1.30 pm, 753 candidates of the Congress have won, followed by 590 of the BJP, 14 of the BSP and 2 of the CPIM. As many as 312 Independent candidates have also emerged winners.

New Delhi, Nov 19 (PTI) Please don't allow the next Doklam in Arunachal Pradesh as China has encroached more than 50 km of land of the state, BJP member Tapir Gao claimed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Whenever the president, prime minister, defence minister or home minister visits the state, objections are raised by China, he said raising the issue during Zero Hour.

He said China raised objections by conducting an official press conference when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Tawang area of the state on November 14, 2019.

New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) The CBI, the ED and the Intelligence Bureau are among 10 central agencies upon which the power of telephone interception is vested and they have to take the Union Home Secretary's approval before putting anyone on surveillance, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Mumbai, Nov 19 (PTI) Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar, admitted to hospital with breathing problems last week, is stable and showing "signs of improvement" but continues to be in the ICU, hospital sources said on Tuesday.

Mangeshkar, 90, has been admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital.

"She is stable. She is still in the ICU. She is showing signs of improvement. We request you to maintain the family's privacy," a hospital insider told PTI.