Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim was appointed the new mayor of Kolkata Thursday after Sovan Chatterjee resigned from the post on the directions of Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of KMC councillors, where senior party leaders, including Banerjee, were present.

Hakim will be the first mayor of the city from the minority community since Independence.

Sydney, Nov 22 (AFP) A large dust storm swirled over eastern Australia on Thursday, driven over the coast by a weather front barrelling across the drought-stricken interior.

Authorities warned residents of Sydney and other parts of New South Wales state who had respiratory or cardiovascular conditions to limit their time outdoors until the dust settled.

Ahmedabad, Nov 22 (PTI) After the 182-meter tall `Statue of Unity' of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gujarat may get a gigantic Buddha statue.

Sanghakaya Foundation, a non-profit Buddhist organisation, said Thursday that it has demanded land from the government for installing an 80-feet high statue of Lord Buddha in Gandhinagar district.

It has roped in Ram Sutar, the sculptor behind the Statue of Unity, for the project, it said.

"We are expecting to get land soon," president of the foundation Bhante Prashil Ratna told reporters here.

Jaipur, Nov 22 (PTI) US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan Thursday to attend a wedding, a police official said.

Kushner arrived on a chartered flight in the evening, amid tight security.

"US president son-in-law Jared Kushner has arrived in Jaisalmer alone. He is here to attend a wedding ceremony of an industrialist friend who studied with Kushner, Additional Superintendent of Police Rajeev Dutta told PTI.

NOVOSIBIRSK, November 22. /TASS/. The District Court in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk has re-sentenced former police officer Yevgeny Chuplinsky to life imprisonment for murdering 19 women. A jury earlier found him guilty.

Chennai, Nov 22 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government Thursday sought about Rs 15,000 crore as central assistance towards relief and rehabilitation activities in Cyclone Gaja affected districts in the state.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi with a plea for central assistance for various sectors in the affected districts, the state government said here.

Amaravati (AP), Nov 22 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh has emerged on top in terms of employability among the states with the engineering graduates having the highest level of employability, according to India Skills Report-2019.

Employability level of B.Tech and B.E graduates from the state shot up significantly to 63.11 per cent this year from 42.08 per cent last year, a release here said Thursday.

LONDON, November 21. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko expressed bewilderment on Wednesday over anti-Russian campaign in UK media against the backdrop of the election for Interpol president.

"Impressed by anti-Russian campaign in UK media in connection with Interpol president elections. Why politicize elections in a technical organization?" the Russian ambassador asked.

MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. The Obninsk-based Technologiya Research and Production Enterprise of RT Chemcomposite Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec) has developed a carbon fiber load-carrying panel for the newest solar module of a promising spacecraft, Rostec said on Thursday.

Melbourne, Nov 22 (PTI) India and Australia signed five agreements on Thursday to boost investments and enhance cooperation in key sectors like disability, agricultural research and education as President Ram Nath Kovind met Australian Prime minister Scott Morrison in Sydney.

Kovind, the first-ever Indian head of state to visit Australia, arrived in Sydney on Wednesday on the second leg of his two nation trip.

Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the rate of unemployment had come down by 40 per cent in the state, due to various developmental schemes.

Speaking in the Assembly House, Banerjee said there are 300 ITIs and polytechnics, and the state government has undertaken the 'Utkarsh Bangla' project, which aims to skill six lakh people every year.

She said with better implementation of the MNREGA and other similar schemes, "unemployment rate has reduced by 40 per cent".

Shahjahanpur (UP), Nov 22 (PTI) A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 12-year-old boy in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district here, police said Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday in a village under Kalan police station limits, they said.

Police station in-charge Harendra Singh Tomar said the girl was playing outside her residence when the accused allegedly lured her to his house and raped her.

The girl has been sent for a medical examination and investigation is underway, he said, adding that the accused is absconding.