Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Jan 21: Bank fraud fugitive Mehul Choksi has surrendered his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana, official sources said Monday.

Choksi, one of the alleged masterminds of the USD 2 billion scam in state-run Punjab National Bank and an uncle of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, took citizenship of Antigua last year.

Indian citizens are expected to surrender their passports when they acquire a foreign nationality.

Ghazni, Jan 22; AFP: At least 65 people were killed in a Taliban-claimed attack on an Afghan intelligence base, security sources said Tuesday, raising the toll substantially from 12 announced previously.

Militants detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at the training facility before gunmen arrived in a car and opened fire.

"We took about 65 bodies out of the rubble yesterday," Mohammad Sardar Bakhyari, deputy head of the provincial council in Wardak province, where the attack occurred on Monday in the latest blow to beleaguered security forces.

Aizawl, Jan 22 (PTI) Mizoram's NGO Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of civil societies and students' bodies, has called for a boycott of the Republic Day celebrations in the state in protest against the citizenship bill, the committee's chairman Vanlalruata said.

In a press statement issued after a meeting of the NGO Coordination Committee here, it said that the Lok Sabha has passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 despite widespread protests.

"The bill necessitates stronger protests," it said.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) Heavy rains drastically reduced the pollution level of the national capital, which recorded the best air quality of this year on Tuesday, authorities said.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 133, which falls in the 'moderate' category.

This is the first time this year that an AQI as low as 133 was recorded, the CPCB data showed. In first week of January too, the air quality had improved to 'moderate' category for a brief period of time.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday alleged that the Congress had organised the EVM hackathon in London in which a cyber expert claimed that the 2014 general elections were rigged.

The event was sponsored by the Congress, the minister of Electronics and IT said at a press conference here.

Chandauli,(UP) Jan 20 (PTI) After courting controversy over her remarks against BSP supremo Mayawati, BJP MLA Sadhana Singh Sunday issued an apology, clarifying that she did not mean to hurt anyone.

Singh, a legislator from Uttar Pradesh's Mughalsarai had Saturday called the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief a "blot on womankind" and "worse than a transgender".

Guwahati, Jan 21 (PTI) An NSCN(R) cadre was arrested and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during separate raids in Assam's Tinsukia district, police said Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, Army troops launched an operation near Tirap Colliery in Ledo town and nabbed the NSCN(R) militant on Monday.

The militant has been identified as Singmai Haseng and a 7.65 mm pistol, a magazine and three rounds of ammunition have been recovered from him.

He was later handed over to the police, a police officer said.

Mumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) The launch of a political party exclusively for women was announced in Mumbai Monday with the motto of empowerment of the fair sex.

Announcing the formation of the National Women's Party (NWP), its founder-president Dr Swetha Shetty said apart from ensuring empowerment of women, the issues like getting 50 per cent reservation for them in Parliament and state assemblies, and betterment of soldiers and farmers, are their top priorities.

Srinagar, Jan 21 (PTI) Three unidentified Kashmiris were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Monday, the Army said.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched in Hapatnaar area following information about the presence of separatists in the area, an official said.

The search operation turned into a gun battle after the separatists opened fire on the security forces. Three separatists were killed in the operation, the official said, adding that the identity and affiliation of them were being ascertained.

New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) In a major reshuffle, interim CBI Director Nageswara Rao has transferred around 20 officers, including the investigation officer of the 2G scam case, Vivek Priyadarshi.

Priyadarshi, posted in the Anti Corruption Branch in Delhi, has been transferred to Chandigarh.

The transfer order, however, states that all the officers, who have been specially directed to supervise, investigate or enquire into any case or matter by any constitutional court, shall continue to do.