PORT DICKSON, Malaysia, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is expected to be voted back to the parliament following the by-election on Saturday.

Voters in Port Dickson, a coastal town and a tourist attraction, are expected to elected the 71-year-old Anwar as member of the lower house of parliament, complement to the ruling Pakatan Harapan's surprising victory in the May general election.

Pune, Oct 12 (PTI) A case of alleged extortion has been registered against Yogesh Tilekar, a BJP MLA from Pune, and two others, police said Friday.

Tilekar, his brother Chetan and his associate Ganesh Kamthe were booked under IPC section 385 (extortion) for allegedly demanding Rs 50 lakh from a private firm to allow it to lay optical fibre cables for internet, police said.

Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) The country's foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 915.8 million to USD 399.609 billion in the week to October 5 on account of a fall in foreign currency assets, according to RBI data.

In the previous week, the reserves had declined by USD 1.265 billion to USD 400.52 billion.

In the reporting week, foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, decreased by USD 1.011 billion to USD 375.231 billion, as per the RBI data.

Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) Dissident BJP leader Ashish Deshmukh, who resigned as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly last week, has also quit the primary membership of the party.

He alleged that policies of the BJP-led state government had created a "paralysis".

Deshmukh, who represented Katol Assembly constituency in Vidarbha region, sent his resignation letter to BJP president Amit Shah Thursday.

Visakhapatnam (AP), Oct 12 (PTI) A woman Maoist, an accused in the recent killing of two TDP leaders, including an MLA, was gunned down by security forces in alleged encounter near Andrapali forest Friday during intense combing operations, police said.

They said four maoists, including three women, were captured after the exchange of fire during the combing operations held in the forest near Andhra-Odhisha border.

The deceased Maoistwas identified as 40-year old N Meena, wife of top Maoist leader Gajarla Ravi alias Uday alias Anand, police said.

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Oct 13 (PTI) The US will consider undertaking "appropriate measures" against anyone who undermines a peaceful transfer of power in the Maldives, a top State Department official has said, expressing concern over the "troubling actions" taken by outgoing president Abdullah Yameen.

Pro-China incumbent Yameen was trounced by opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the parliamentary elections held in the Maldives last month. Solih is widely regarded as a pro-India leader.

Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) Congress and NCP leaders in Maharashtra met here Friday to continue their discussions on alliance for the next year's LokSabha and Assembly elections.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had held a discussion on alliance in Delhi on Thursday.

"Our endeavour is to ensure that a maximum number of like-minded parties come together to defeat the BJP," state Congress chief Ashok Chavan said Friday after the meeting.

New Delhi, Oct 12 (PTI) Unemployment, financial and political corruption, as also crime and violence are among the key issues bothering Indians the most, says a survey.

The survey -- 'What Worries the World' conducted by the Ipsos, an independent market research company -- shows that 44 per cent of respondents in respect to India are bothered about unemployment, and financial and political corruption.

(Maha), Oct 12 (PTI) Days after a local woman BJP activist was killed in her flat here in Maharashtra, her domestic help has been arrested for the crime, police said Friday.

Rupali Chavan (36) was found dead in her house in the Nallasopara area of Palghar district on October 9. She was killed two days earlier, the police had said early this week.

Aizawl, Mijoram; Oct 13 (PTI) A Champai district court has sentenced a man to 18 years rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl three years ago.

Special judge R Vanlalena convicted Lalventhanga of Biate village in Champai district, which borders Myanmar, under the POCSO Act and slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on him on Thursday.

Lalventhanga, on February 26, 2015, had lured the girl with some sweets into his house and raped her in his bedroom.

KANPUR: A 30 MLD sewage treatment plant is to be constructed at Panki by the year 2020, as reports said.

The new plant will purify the tributary river Pandu, which originates from Farrukhabad district and joins the Ganges at Fatehpur district passing through various districts.

An amount of Rs 223 crore was estimated for its construction, and the work was expected to begin from October 15.

Badaun, Oct 13 (PTI) A five-year-old girl was raped by a neighbour, who left her in an unconscious state, in the Sahasawan area here following which the accused was arrested, police said Saturday.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Surendra Pratap Singh said, "The five-year-old girl was raped by her neighbour after he found her alone in the house.

"He fled the spot when she fell unconscious. The incident came to light, when her mother reached home, and found the girl lying unconscious."