Patna, Dec 15 (PTI) A local court here Saturday convicted suspended RJD MLA- Raj Ballabh Yadav- and five others in a case of rape of a minor girl two years ago.

Special MP & MLA court judge-cum-Additional District and Sessions (ADJ)(IX) Parshuram Yadav convicted the MLA under section 376 of IPC and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012.

While five other co-accused were also convicted under section 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia issued an unusually strong rebuke of the U.S. Senate on Monday, rejecting a bipartisan resolution that put the blame for the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi squarely on the Saudi crown prince and describing it as interference in the kingdom’s affairs.

Raipur: President of Chhattisgarh Congress Committee and MLA Bhupesh Baghel has been sworn in as Chhattisgarh CM.

Baghel was nominated by the party after a 36 hour party discussion.

Soon after the nomination; Baghel announced waving of farmers’ loan, and investigation of Geerum Valley attack by Nuxals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, facing federal investigations into his travel, political activity and potential conflicts of interest, will be leaving the administration at year’s end, President Donald Trump said Saturday. In his resignation letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Zinke said “vicious and politically motivated attacks” against him had “created an unfortunate distraction” in fulfilling the agency’s mission.

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A security clampdown and a strike sponsored by separatists fighting against Indian rule shut most of Indian-administered Kashmir on Sunday, a day after chaotic protests and fighting killed seven civilians and four combatants in the disputed region.

Armed police and paramilitary soldiers in riot gear fanned out across the region in anticipation of anti-India protests and clashes. Shops and businesses closed in other areas with no security restrictions.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 15 (PTI) A woman was allegedly burnt to death by her in-laws over dowry demand in Bhopa village in the district, police said Saturday.

According to a complaint lodged by the woman's father Friday, he alleged that his daughter was burnt alive by her in-laws when she failed to fulfil their dowry demands.

Police has registered a case against the woman's husband, Station House Officer B P Singh said.

The father and the brother of the man are absconding and search is on to trace them, he said.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) India's biggest crisis is unemployment and the country needs to invest more in the tourism sector which hires nearly 10 times as many people as any manufacturing industry, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said.

He said the future of India depended very much on its ability to escape from the politics of identity and the government's ability to provide answers to the real needs of the people.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka’s president has reappointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister, nearly two months after firing him and setting off weeks of political stalemate.

Wickremesinghe’s United National Party says on its official Twitter account that Wickremesinghe took oath before President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday.

The move promises to ease 50 days of political crisis, but could also be the beginning of a difficult cohabitation between the two leaders now in rival camps. A new Cabinet is expected to be sworn in soon.

Raipur, Dec 16 (PTI) Senior Congress leader and state party chief Bhupesh Baghel will be the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh.

The decision was taken at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held here on Sunday.

He will take oath at 5 PM tomorrow, AICC observer Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had held several rounds of discussion with the four aspirants for the post -- T S Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Bhupesh Baghel and Charan Das Mahant -- at his Tughlaq Lane residence in New Delhi on Saturday.

KANPUR: In order to maintain the safe running of the trains during the foggy days the Railways has deployed fog signalman on small and big stations. They will be equipped with the CUG phone, red & green fog lights, walkie-talkie, and firecrackers. Not only these things but they will remain connected with the control room from morn till night.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Dec 16 (PTI) Two people have been arrested in connection with the gang rape and murder of a 15-year-old Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district seven months ago, police said Sunday.

Kuldeep and an woman, Malti, were arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident at a village in Purkazi block in May, the police said.

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) A nine-year-old girl was raped on Saturday allegedly by a man who took her to his shanty in a nearby area in Rohini's Samaipur Badli, police said.

After getting information about the incident at around 12 pm, a police team reached the spot, they said.

Investigations revealed that the girl was playing outside her shanty when the accused reached there and took her to his shanty, where he allegedly raped her, a senior police officer said.

After the incident, the victim came out of the place crying, the officer said.