Indian Sub-continent

Garwah (Jharkhand), Dec 24 (PTI) A Maoist carrying a reward of Rs one lakh on his head, was arrested in Garwah district on Monday, police said.

Laldeo Bhuiyan, an area commander of the CPI(Maoist) was arrested during a search operation launched by the district armed police and CRPF, said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vijay Kumar.

Bhuiyan, a resident of Aabun village under Panki police station of Palamau district, was wanted by police in connection with several naxal-related incidents in Palamau and Latehar districts, Kumar said.

Pandharpur (Maha), Dec 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Monday mouthed the Congress' oft-repeated jibe of "chowkidar chor hai" made in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal to mount a veiled attack on his senior ally -- the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

KARACHI / ISLAMABAD, 24 Dec 2018; AA: A Pakistani court on Monday sentenced former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to seven years in jail in two corruption cases.

Sharif himself was present in the accountability court in the capital Islamabad to hear the much-anticipated verdict after a 15-month legal process in the cases, popularly known as Al Azizia Steel Mills.

KARACHI, Pakistan; 24 Dec 2018; AA: Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday summoned the country's former President Asif Ali Zardari for alleged involvement in a massive money laundering, according to the court records and local media.

Headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, three-member bench also barred Zardari and others accused from trading properties in the case at the Supreme Court's Lahore branch.

The court ordered them to submit their replies by December 31, local broadcaster Geo News reported.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 24 (PTI) An accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Sikheda village here, police said Monday.

Sodan Singh's body was found Sunday evening hanging from the ceiling of a room, which housed a tube well, they said.

The body was sent for postmortem and the matter is being investigated, police said.

Singh's son has lodged a complaint at the local police station and alleged that his 60-year-old father was murdered, they said.

Jammu, Dec 24 (PTI) Pakistani troops Monday opened fire and shelled forward posts and villages along the LoC in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The firing and shelling from across the border started in Keri, Lam, Pukharni and Peer Badaser areas of Noushera sector around 9.30 am, a police officer said.

Army personnel guarding the LoC retaliated and the cross-border firing between the two sides was going on when last reports came in.

There was no immediate report of any casualty, the officer said.

Jaipur, Dec 24 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expanded his council of ministers on Monday with 23 ministers, including one from Congress ally Rashtriya Lok Dal, being sworn in at the Raj Bhavan here.

Of the 23, 13 are cabinet ministers and 10 ministers of state.

Governor Kalyan Singh administrated the oath of office to the new ministers at an event attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and senior Congress leaders.

The ministers took oath in Hindi.

Mumbai, Dec 24 (PTI) The Indian Navy Monday commissioned INHS Sandhani, its tenth Naval hospital, at the Naval station Karanja in Uran near Mumbai.

Preeti Luthra, President of NWWA (Navy Wives Welfare Association), Western Region, unveiled the commissioning plaque of the hospital.

The Commissioning Warrant was read by the first Commanding Officer of the hospital Surgeon Captain HBS Chaudhry, the Navy said in a release.

New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday declined to accord urgent hearing on the BJP's plea challenging a Calcutta High Court order not allowing its Rath Yatra in West Bengal.

The lawyer associated with the plea said they have been informed by the apex court registry that the matter would be listed in the normal course.

The top court is closed for winter vacations.

The party, which sought an urgent hearing on the petition, had planned to launch the yatra from three districts of the state.

KANPUR: Though Sisamau Nullah with a cost of 63 crore rupees has been tapped, the Ganges' biological water quality is yet not improved in every respect. It stays nearly on the same assessment which was done during the year 2014-15 and the year 2015-16 respectively.

This glaring fact has surfaced following a recent report presented by the Central Pollution Control Board. The analysis is in compliance with the apex court’s order.