RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina judge is considering a demand to order the victory of the Republican in the country’s last undecided congressional race despite an investigation into whether his lead was boosted by illegal vote-collection tactics.

A trial judge in the state’s capital of Raleigh hears arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit by Republican Mark Harris, who narrowly led Democrat Dan McCready in the 9th District race before the investigation started.

PARIS (AP) — The ArianeGroup wants to send a scientific mission to the moon before 2025.

Nearly 50 years after Neil Armstrong walked on the Earth’s satellite, the Paris-based company said on Monday it has signed a one-year contract with the European Space agency to study the possibility of preparing a mission, with the aim of mining regolith.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris, a first-term senator and former California attorney general known for her rigorous questioning of President Donald Trump’s nominees, entered the Democratic presidential race on Monday. Harris would be the first woman to hold the presidency and the second African-American.

Harris, 54, who grew up in Oakland, California, is one of the earliest high-profile Democrats to join what is expected to be a crowded field. She made her long anticipated announcement on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

22 Jan 2019; AFP: Cristiano Ronaldo is returning to Madrid for a court date on Tuesday in which he could be fined 18.8 million euros ($21.4 million) for tax fraud as part of a deal reached with the Spanish taxman.

As part of an agreement arranged in June with the former Real Madrid hero's lawyers, prosecutors are also asking that the Portuguese attacker, who last summer left the Spanish capital for Italian champions Juventus, be handed a 23-month jail sentence.

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a recent pipeline explosion in Mexico's central state of Hidalgo has risen to 91, said state governor Omar Fayad on Monday.

In an interview with local media, Fayad also said that the 52 wounded people had been treated in a dozen hospitals in Hidalgo, the State of Mexico, and Mexico City.

In the wake of the disaster, the governor said he would dedicate himself to saving lives, locating remains, and supporting the federal government's crackdown on fuel theft.

Mumbai, Jan 22; PTI: Suspected Maoists shot dead three villagers Tuesday in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on suspicion that their tip-off to police led to killing of 40 ultras in a massive operation in the region last year, a police official said.

A group of around 150 armed naxals from Chhattisgarh entered Kasnasur village near Kosfundi phata in Bhamragad taluka, around 950 kms from here in the wee hours, and went to the houses of Malu Madavi, Kanna Madavi and Lalsu Kudyeti, a police official said.

Davos, Jan 21; PTI: Indian billionaires saw their fortunes swell by Rs 2,200 crore a day last year, with the top one per cent of the country's richest getting richer by 39 per cent as against just three per cent increase in wealth for the bottom-half of the population, an Oxfam study said on Monday.

Srinagar, Jan 22 (PTI) Two separatists were killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Heff area of Shopian district following information about presence of militants in the area, an Army official said.

He said the search operation turned into a gunbattle after militants opened fire on the security forces.

New Delhi, Jan 21: Bank fraud fugitive Mehul Choksi has surrendered his Indian passport to the High Commission in Guyana, official sources said Monday.

Choksi, one of the alleged masterminds of the USD 2 billion scam in state-run Punjab National Bank and an uncle of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, took citizenship of Antigua last year.

Indian citizens are expected to surrender their passports when they acquire a foreign nationality.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI) Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday alleged that the Congress had organised the EVM hackathon in London in which a cyber expert claimed that the 2014 general elections were rigged.

The event was sponsored by the Congress, the minister of Electronics and IT said at a press conference here.

New Delhi, Jan 21 (PTI) In a major reshuffle, interim CBI Director Nageswara Rao has transferred around 20 officers, including the investigation officer of the 2G scam case, Vivek Priyadarshi.

Priyadarshi, posted in the Anti Corruption Branch in Delhi, has been transferred to Chandigarh.

The transfer order, however, states that all the officers, who have been specially directed to supervise, investigate or enquire into any case or matter by any constitutional court, shall continue to do.

Aizawl, Jan 22 (PTI) Mizoram's NGO Coordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of civil societies and students' bodies, has called for a boycott of the Republic Day celebrations in the state in protest against the citizenship bill, the committee's chairman Vanlalruata said.

In a press statement issued after a meeting of the NGO Coordination Committee here, it said that the Lok Sabha has passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 despite widespread protests.

"The bill necessitates stronger protests," it said.