Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) A Saudi Arabian national has been apprehended at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying a live bullet in his bag, an official said Thursday.

A S Wunaymir T was going through the security checks at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday evening when a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan detected a "bullet-like object" in his luggage, the official said.

"A live bullet round was recovered from Wunaymir's bag. He was handed over to the police as he could not produce valid documents for carrying the ammunition," he said.

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) The Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha elections would be ready by February-end and the party is reaching out to public and various experts to seek their views in addressing problems confronting the nation including "joblessness and agrarian distress", party leaders said.

Several rounds of extensive consultations with various sections of society in around 30 locations across the country have already been held to seek their views and include them in the party's manifesto.

Mandsaur (MP), Jan 17 (PTI) A local BJP leader was shot dead by an unidentified person in a busy area of the city Thursday evening, police said.

The victim, Prahlad Bandhwar, was president of the local municipal council.

City Superintendent of Police (CSP) R M Shukla said Bandhwar was attacked when he was standing outside District Cooperative Bank, located in Nai Abadi area, at around 7 pm.

An unidentified person shot him from point-blank range and fled from the spot, Shukla said and added the assailant's motorcycle has been recovered.

Nagpur (Mah), Jan 17 (PTI) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat lamented Thursday that though there was no war going on, soldiers were still dying on the country's borders.

This was happening because "we are not doing our job properly", he said at a function to mark silver jubilee of the Prahaar Samaaj Jagruti Sanstha here.

He said it was time to sacrifice life for the country before India gained freedom. After Independence, one had to do it on the borders when there was a war, the RSS chief said.

Muzaffarnagar, Jan 18 (PTI) A 20-year-old youth has been arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a 16-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, police said on Friday.

According to a complaint lodged by the girl's father, the accused, Shivam, picked up the minor from near a sugar cane field on Thursday and tried to rape her in Bachan Singh Colony under New Mandi police station, they said.

He fled after the girl cried for help, the police said.

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday accused the government of compromising national security and asked why it bought only 36 Rafale fighter jets instead of 126 required by the Air Force.

His comments come in the wake of fresh revelations on the Rafale deal in a media report which claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to but 36 aircraft instead of the 126 asked for by the Air Force pushed the price of each jet up by 41.42 per cent.

Kolkata, Jan 17 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said the mega opposition rally being hosted by her Trinamool Congress here on January 19 would sound the "death knell" for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls and regional parties would be the deciding factor.

She also claimed that the BJP's seat count in the general election will not cross more than 125.

The number of seats that the state parties will win will be much more than the BJP's, further claimed.

KANPUR: A speeding Mercedes car hit the scooty on Ganga Barrage road in Bitthoor on Thursday evening. One girl died on the spot while another was badly injured. The car driver tried to run away but the locals caught him up and handed him over to the police.

KANPUR: Is there a happier position for the Kanpur Development Authority in regard to the sale of its flats? Of course, it is wholly not. Even the state government has learnt of its slow sale and come up with its offer in the revision of the rate.

Despite holding camps at various government offices and organising fairs on selected spots and also indulging in other promotional steps its flats constructed under various housing schemes were not selling like hot cakes.

KANPUR: One couple and their 22-day old daughter died in a road accident near the Nawabganj bird reserve  on Lucknow-Kanpur Highway under Ajgain police station on Thursday morning.