Indian Sub-continent

Ajmer: Rajasthan’s BJP government minister Shambhu Singh Khetasar was photographed urinating in open. When asked, he defended his action saying urinating in the open is “an age-old tradition”.

According to The Indian Express, “The minister’s remarks come at a time when 27 out of 33 districts in Rajasthan have been declared open-defecation free, according to data on the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) site.”

Kolkata, October 8; GANASHAKTI:  On 7th October ,2018 it was a Red letter day  for Siliguri  when umpteen  people joined  the march of the commoners to protect the essence of democracy. Siliguri Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya, Party District Secretary Jibesh Sarkar and other Left Front leaders  joined the March  against the ploy  of the ruling party to weaken the democratic process in the state .

Taking democracy to the grass root, it can be recalled that the Left Front in Siliguri has converted  the demands of development of Siliguri into a movement.

Srinagar, Oct 8; PTI:  Over six per cent of the electorate turned out to cast their votes on Monday in the 83 wards of urban local bodies in Kashmir during the first six hours of polling in the first of the four-phased elections in the valley amidst tight security arrangements, an official said.

"Over 5,400 voters have exercised their franchise till 1.00 pm at the 150 polling stations set up in the 83 wards across the Kashmir Valley where polling is going on today," the official said.

Around 85,000 voters including 40,800 women are eligible to vote in the valley.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court will hear a fresh PIL against the Rafale deal between India and France on Wednesday.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph Monday said it will hear the PIL filed by lawyer Vineet Dhanda, who is seeking a direction to the Centre to reveal details of the deal and the comparative prices during the UPA and NDA rule in a sealed cover to the apex court.

The petition also sought information about the contract given to Reliance by Dassault.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Monday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a closure report in the case of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing from the university nearly two years ago.

A bench of justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel "declined" the plea of the missing student's mother, Fatima Nafees, to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and monitor the probe, thereby removing the CBI from the investigation.

Lahore, Oct 8 (PTI) Former Pakistan premiers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, along with a prominent journalist, appeared before the Lahore High Court on Monday for hearing on a petition seeking treason proceedings against them in a case related to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Journalist Cyril Almeida, Assistant Editor for the Dawn newspaper is also a respondent in the case being heard by a three-member bench headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, The Express Tribune reported.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Delhi's air quality has slipped back to poor category due to change in direction of wind, which is now flowing from stubble burning areas in Punjab and Haryana, authorities said Monday.

The air quality Sunday had improved to moderate level with an index of 181 but Monday the air quality slipped to poor category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 235, according to data at the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

Banda (UP), Oct 8 (PTI) A minor girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour in Attara area here, police said Monday.

The incident took place Sunday when the girl was on the terrace of her house, SHO, Attara, Dinesh Singh said.

The youth was caught by family members who were alerted by her shrieks, he said.

A probe is on in the matter. The accused has been arrested.

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking review of the Constitution bench judgement which lifted the ban on entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala.

The plea, filed by Shylaja Vijayan, president of National Ayyappa Devotees Association, said the September 28 judgment which had allowed entry of women of all ages in the hill-top shrine is "absolutely untenable and irrational, if not perverse".

Raipur, Oct 8 (PTI) Sixteen Naxals, five of them suspected to be involved in a deadly attack on a CRPF team last year, were arrested from Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said Monday.

There were two women among the arrested ultras, they added.

The arrests were made Sunday from a hill near Minpa village under the Chintagufa police station limits by a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF), the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the district police, a senior police official told PTI.