Indian Sub-continent

MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. /TASS/. The death toll in the Kabul attack at government offices has reached 43 people, Xinhua reported on Tuesday citing Afghanistan's Healthcare Ministry.

Earlier reports said 27 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack. Xinhua said 10 more people were injured.

NEW DELHI, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- As many as 45 flights were delayed at Delhi's international airport amidst dense foggy conditions and high air pollution levels on Tuesday.

The entire north India, including the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and parts of Madhya Pradesh have been witnessing dense fog over the past few days, particularly during morning and evening hours.

KANPUR: Angered with the police personnel’s sudden change in behaviour, the villagers could not control themselves and beat them with lathi and danda. The police reached Sachendi village in Ghatampur Block of Kanpur Nagar district on Sunday. The police freed one person who was taken hostage by the villagers for molesting a woman.

Police freed the accused Rajkumar and this heedlessness infuriated the villagers who beat them severely.

Mumbai, Dec 23 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has overturned a 1997 trial court order acquitting a 41-year-old man in a rape case of a minor girl in 1996.

A division bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and V K Jadhav Saturday convicted Macchindra Sonawane (who was 19 years old at the time of the incident) and sentenced him to seven years in jail for raping the 11-year-old girl.

The bench, in its judgment, said the trial court had erred and acted in a "casual or cavalier" manner, in determining the victim's age as that of being a major.

New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) A PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system.

The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeks quashing of the government's December 20 notification.

According to the government's notification, 10 central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology (IT) Act for computer interception and analysis, Ministry of Home Affairs officials said.

Lucknow Dec 24 (PTI) Amid row over Lord Hanuman's identity, Uttar Pradesh's sports minister and former cricketer Chetan Chauhan has said that the Hindu deity was a sportsperson.

However, he dismissed his party colleagues' attempts at identifying Lord Hanuman's caste and said gods don't have castes.

Hyderabad, Dec 24 (PTI) A self-styled spiritual guru and his brother have been arrested here for allegedly cheating several people of over Rs 50 crore in a multi-level marketing racket, police said Monday.

E Kumar Girish Singhand Dileep Singh were taken into custody based on a complaint by a woman from whom the Rs 21.78 lakh was collected for investment in 'DREAM BRIDZ', a social business network, assuring huge profits within a short period if the investors enrolled two new members each, a police release said.

Chandigarh, Dec 24 (PTI) A serving Major General has been recommended for dismissal from service by a General Court Martial (GCM) for allegedly misbehaving with a woman officer.

The GCM, presided over by a LT General Giriraj Singh, found the Maj Gen guilty under Section 354 A (attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman) and Section 54 of the Army Act (conduct unbecoming of an officer), prosecution counsel D S Ahluwalia said Monday.

New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) The BJP is of the view that the Supreme Court should hear the Ram temple land dispute case on a daily basis to deliver an early judgement, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said Monday.

"Our wish is that there should be a daily hearing on that matter so that we have an early judgement," he said responding to a question on the issue.

Pandharpur (Maha), Dec 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Monday indicated his unwillingness to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming polls, asking why he should join hands with "someone" facing "corruption" charges.

He demanded a discussion on the issue of Ram temple in Parliament and said it has been 30 years since the Babri Masjid was razed, but the Ayodhya matter is still in court.