Indian Sub-continent

Karachi/Peshawar, Oct 21 (PTI) Polling for Pakistan's second round of by-elections in three national and provincial assembly constituencies in Karachi and Peshawar were underway amidst strict security.

A total of 858,866 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the by-polls, which were necessitated after the candidates elected on them in the July 25 general elections tendered their resignations.

All three of the winners belonged to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Lucknow, Oct 21 (PTI) To give an edge to the BJP in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, four spokespersons from the party's Uttar Pradesh unit have been dispatched to the neighbouring state for effective media management, a party leader said Sunday.

The spokespersons will be responsible for disseminating information pertaining to various welfare measures initiated by the Centre and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, where voting will be held on November 28.

Jammu, Oct 21 (PTI) Buoyed by the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) election results in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP said Sunday it is hopeful to win over 50 assembly seats in the next elections and form a government on its own in the state.

The BJP swept the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) elections and made some advances in Kashmir, by winning 100 wards in the Valley, in the four-phased ULB elections in the state that were marred by boycott by the NC and PDP.

Jaipur, Oct 21 (PTI) Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot Sunday said the people of the state would celebrate Diwali twice this year, first on November 7

and again on December 7 when the Congress will come to power here.

Speaking at a 'Booth Jitao, Bhrashtachar Mitao' event here, Pilot said the BJP will be removed from the state and a new government will be formed on December 7.

Bhubaneswar, Oct 20 (PTI) The toll in Cyclone Titli and the subsequent floods in Odisha rose to 61, with the state government confirming four more casualties on Saturday.

Reports of death of 11 more people were being verified at district level, Chief Secretary A P Padhi said after a review of relief and restoration activities in the 17 affected districts.

He said four more people had died in the cyclone and the resultant floods.

New Delhi, Oct 20 (PTI) A haze engulfed the national capital as the air quality nosedived to very poor category with several areas inching towards severe pollution levels, authorities said Saturday.

The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 324, which falls in the very poor category and is highest of this season, creating hazy conditions, according to the data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Mathura, Oct 20 (PTI) While Ravana's effigies were burned at several places on Dussehra, an 'aarti' of the mythological character was performed at a Shiva temple in Mathura.

Activists of Lankesh Bhakta Mandal performed the 'aarti' Friday at the temple in Laxmi Nagar area amid clanging of bells and sound of conch shells.

"The crusade against burning of effigies of Ravana would continue till the orthodox custom of Ramleela is stopped," an activist said.

Bhubaneswar, Oct 20 (PTI) A nine-year-old boy from Bolangir district, whose decapitated body was found earlier this week, was a victim of human sacrifice, police said Saturday.

Police have arrested two people for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing -- the boy's uncle and brother -- one of whom have confessed to the crime, they said.

Titlagarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Saroj Mohapatra said the accused persons had sacrificed the boy to "appease goddess Durga for fulfilment of their wishes".

Bhopal, Oct 21 (PTI) Seeking a fourth straight term in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to cast a 'magic spell' on voters during the upcoming state Assembly polls.

The party would be roping in magicians to highlight the work done by it in the last 15 years and compare it with that of the previous Congress government, MP BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal told PTI.

Pratapgarh (UP), Oct 21 (PTI) A 55-year-old woman was beaten to death by her neighbours in Hinahu village in the Nawabganj area here due to old enmity, police said Sunday.

Madhuri Devi and her son Pankaj were attacked by Sanjay Tiwari and his associates with sticks on Saturday night, senior police officer Shivji Shukla said.

They were rushed to a hospital where Madhuri Devi died during treatment.

An FIR has been registered against Sanjay Tiwari, the husband of a village head, and his three associates.