MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. The Russian Navy plans to place more than 30 Poseidon strategic nuclear-capable underwater drones on combat duty, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Saturday.

"Two Poseidon-carrying submarines are expected to enter service with the Northern Fleet and the other two will join the Pacific Fleet. Each of the submarines will carry a maximum of eight drones and, therefore, the total number of Poseidons on combat duty may reach 32 vehicles," the source said.

12 Jan 2019; AFP: A powerful explosion badly damaged a bakery in central Paris on Saturday, injuring several people and smashing nearby windows after a suspected gas leak, police and AFP journalists said.

A fire broke out after the blast at around 9am (0800 GMT) in the city's 9th district, a residential and shopping area.

Images posted on Twitter showed debris covering the street and the lower part of the building blown out and in flames. Parked cars were also damaged in the blast.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Friday stepped up its battle against starvation in Yemen with a 32-million-U.S. dollar transfer of funds from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to the humanitarian relief effort in the war-scarred country.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock and the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP) David Beasley announced the contribution here at UN Headquarters.

NEW DELHI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two major political parties and arch rivals Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Saturday formally announced their pre-poll alliance in northern state of Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Indian general elections.

Leaders of the two parties, Akhilesh Yadav of SP and Mayawati of BSP addressed a joint press conference in Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, and thus delivered the first opposition front to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bengaluru, Jan 11 (PTI) A court here has closed a sedition case against the Amnesty India, pertaining to a petition filed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) against the human rights body on August 15, 2016.

The complaint relates to an event the Amnesty India had held as part of a campaign to seek justice for alleged human rights violations in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The First Information Report (FIR) in the case mentioned a number of offences, including sedition, unlawful assembly, rioting and promoting enmity.

Islamabad, Jan 11; PTI: The Pakistan government has decided to continue the travel ban on former president Asif Ali Zardari, his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah among other Pakistan Peoples Party leaders, a top minister said.

The decision, which prevents them from flying abroad, was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday, Dawn news reported.

New Delhi, Dec 11; PTI: Former CBI director Alok Verma, who was ousted from the agency by a high-powered selection committee Thursday, has said that he was transferred on the basis of "false, unsubstantiated and frivolous allegations" made by only one person, who was inimical to him.

Ukrain had signed an agreement on the purchase of 12 Turkish Bayraktar Tactical Block 2 (TB2) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) for the Ukrainian army.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on facebook, "As we previously agreed with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we signed an agreement on purchasing Turkish armed drones Bayraktar TB2s for the Ukrainian army,"

New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) Former CBI chief Alok Verma submitted his resignation from service on Friday, a day after he was removed from his post by a high powered committee.

Verma said in his resignation letter, accessed by PTI, that it was a moment of "collective introspection".

Ferozepur, Jan 11 (PTI) A farmer has killed his wife and two children at Armanpura village in the border district here, police said Friday.

Accused Paramjit Singh Pamma, who owned six acres of land, was allegedly in debt, police said, adding that Pamma has been absconding after committing the crime on Thursday .

He killed his wife Pinder Kaur (35), and two children -- an 11-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy -- while they were sleeping, police said.

The matter is under investigation, officials said.

Banda (UP), Jan 11 (PTI) A 16-year-old girl committed suicide almost a month after she was allegedly raped by a man from her village in Uttar Pradesh's Chitrakoot district, police said Friday.

She hanged herself from a ceiling fan in her room Thursday night in Pahadi area, Police Station Incharge Dinesh Singh said.

The girl was allegedly raped by a man from her village on December 15 last year. After her family lodged a complaint, an FIR was filed and the accused was arrested, Singh said.

OUAGADOUGOU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Twelve people were killed and two others injured Thursday in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso's northern province of Soum, the country's security ministry announced late Friday in a statement.

The attack was perpetrated by around 30 armed individuals in broad daylight and targeted people who had gathered for a weekly market in the village of Gasseliki, according to the statement.

The attackers reportedly ransacked stores and opened fire on people.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility.