Indian Sub-continent

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Taliban say “another” meeting is to be held with the United States, this time in the United Arab Emirates and involving representatives of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

The terse statement from Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the meeting would be held Monday without offering details.

The State Department has neither denied nor confirmed previous meetings, but U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad previously said he has met with all Afghans involved in the 17-year war.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 15 (PTI) A woman was allegedly burnt to death by her in-laws over dowry demand in Bhopa village in the district, police said Saturday.

According to a complaint lodged by the woman's father Friday, he alleged that his daughter was burnt alive by her in-laws when she failed to fulfil their dowry demands.

Police has registered a case against the woman's husband, Station House Officer B P Singh said.

The father and the brother of the man are absconding and search is on to trace them, he said.

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) A nine-year-old girl was raped on Saturday allegedly by a man who took her to his shanty in a nearby area in Rohini's Samaipur Badli, police said.

After getting information about the incident at around 12 pm, a police team reached the spot, they said.

Investigations revealed that the girl was playing outside her shanty when the accused reached there and took her to his shanty, where he allegedly raped her, a senior police officer said.

After the incident, the victim came out of the place crying, the officer said.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Dec 16 (PTI) Two people have been arrested in connection with the gang rape and murder of a 15-year-old Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district seven months ago, police said Sunday.

Kuldeep and an woman, Malti, were arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident at a village in Purkazi block in May, the police said.

Raipur, Dec 16 (PTI) Senior Congress leader and state party chief Bhupesh Baghel will be the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh.

The decision was taken at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held here on Sunday.

He will take oath at 5 PM tomorrow, AICC observer Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had held several rounds of discussion with the four aspirants for the post -- T S Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Bhupesh Baghel and Charan Das Mahant -- at his Tughlaq Lane residence in New Delhi on Saturday.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) India's biggest crisis is unemployment and the country needs to invest more in the tourism sector which hires nearly 10 times as many people as any manufacturing industry, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said.

He said the future of India depended very much on its ability to escape from the politics of identity and the government's ability to provide answers to the real needs of the people.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) A three-year-old girl was raped allegedly by a neighbour at her house in southwest Delhi's Dwarka on Sunday afternoon, police said.

On being informed about the incident police reached the spot and rushed the unconscious girl to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, they said.

The minor girl was allegedly raped by one Ranjeet, who works as a guard and resides in the ground floor of the same building as the victim. The girl's parents were out on work when the incident occurred, a senior police officer said.

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A security clampdown and a strike sponsored by separatists fighting against Indian rule shut most of Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, a day after chaotic protests and fighting killed seven civilians and four combatants in the disputed region.

Armed police and paramilitary soldiers in riot gear fanned out across the region in anticipation of anti-India protests and clashes. Shops and businesses closed in other areas with no security restrictions.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president has reappointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister, nearly two months after firing him and setting off weeks of political stalemate.

Wickremesinghe’s United National Party says on its official Twitter account that Wickremesinghe took oath before President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday.

The move promises to ease 50 days of political crisis, but could also be the beginning of a difficult cohabitation between the two leaders now in rival camps. A new Cabinet is expected to be sworn in soon.

KANPUR: In order to maintain the safe running of the trains during the foggy days the Railways has deployed fog signalman on small and big stations. They will be equipped with the CUG phone, red & green fog lights, walkie-talkie, and firecrackers. Not only these things but they will remain connected with the control room from morn till night.