Pandharpur (Maha), Dec 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Monday indicated his unwillingness to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming polls, asking why he should join hands with "someone" facing "corruption" charges.

He demanded a discussion on the issue of Ram temple in Parliament and said it has been 30 years since the Babri Masjid was razed, but the Ayodhya matter is still in court.

25 Dec 2018; DW: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged the people of Germany to address tensions in society by engaging with each other. The country must not be allowed to drift apart, he says in his annual Christmas speech.

24 Dec 2018; DW: Cracking noises and jammed doors in Sydney's Opal Tower triggered the evacuation of 3,000 people on Christmas Eve. The state of the new 36-story apartment skyscraper is being examined by engineers.

Residents and neighbors of Sydney's prestigious Opal Tower were left waiting Monday, not knowing whether they would be allowed back into their high-rise homes in time to celebrate Christmas.

New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) The BJP is of the view that the Supreme Court should hear the Ram temple land dispute case on a daily basis to deliver an early judgement, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said Monday.

"Our wish is that there should be a daily hearing on that matter so that we have an early judgement," he said responding to a question on the issue.

Melbourne, Dec 24 (PTI) Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has described Virat Kohli as a "fantastic captain", having shared the dressing room with the India captain while representing Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Kohli's on-field heated exchanges with Australia skipper Tim Paine in the second Test turned out to be a subject of discussion with many former players, including Mitchell Johnson, criticising the batting maestro's behaviour.

However, Starc backed Kohli.

Chandigarh, Dec 24 (PTI) A serving Major General has been recommended for dismissal from service by a General Court Martial (GCM) for allegedly misbehaving with a woman officer.

The GCM, presided over by a LT General Giriraj Singh, found the Maj Gen guilty under Section 354 A (attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman) and Section 54 of the Army Act (conduct unbecoming of an officer), prosecution counsel D S Ahluwalia said Monday.

MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Indonesia’s authorities have warned of the danger of high waves in many coastal areas of the country, in particular in the Java Sea and the Celebes Sea, according to a statement made by spokesman for the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) Zairo Hendrawan, which was released on Tuesday.

BEIJING (AP) — Japanese stocks plunged Tuesday and other Asian markets declined following heavy Wall Street losses triggered by President Donald Trump’s attack on the U.S. central bank.

The Nikkei 225 fell by an unusually wide margin of 4.8 percent to 19,189.00. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 2.3 percent to 2,469.28. Benchmarks in Thailand and Taiwan also declined.

Markets in Hong Kong, Australia and South Korea were closed for Christmas.

HOUSTON (AP) — A judge on Monday ordered the U.S. government not to deport a Honduran woman, whose lawyers worry about her being separated from her 15-year-old daughter who has been detained with her for six months.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss issued the temporary restraining order at the request of the woman’s lawyers, who feared U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement might deport her before they could appeal after Christmas and leave the teenager alone in government custody.

New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) A PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system.

The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeks quashing of the government's December 20 notification.

According to the government's notification, 10 central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology (IT) Act for computer interception and analysis, Ministry of Home Affairs officials said.

MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. The Russian Foreign Ministry deems as important the decision of the UN General Assembly to convene a conference on the establishment of a zone free of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East in 2019, the ministry reported on Monday in comments on the decision approved on December 22.

BEIRUT (AP) — Turkish-backed fighters said Monday they are preparing to move into eastern Syria alongside Turkish troops once American forces withdraw and are already massing on the front line of a town held by Kurdish-led forces.