India

Bhopal, Sep 30 (PTI) Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh would stage a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence in New Delhi on Thursday to demand release of central funds for losses suffered by the state due to heavy rains this monsoon.

The Congress wants that the Centre immediately release Rs 32,171 crore to Madhya Pradesh, party MLA Arif Masood, who would lead the demonstration, told PTI on Monday.

The party would also submit a memorandum of its demands to the prime minister, said Masood, who is an MLA from Bhopal.

Chennai, Sep 30 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the world has "great expectations" from India, and asserted his government will lead the country to a path of 'greatness' where it will be beneficial to the entire globe.

On his first visit to Tamil Nadu after retaining power in this year's Lok Sabha polls, the Prime Minister reiterated his campaign against single-use plastic.

Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Sep 29 (PTI) A woman constable has alleged that a trainee sub-inspector of police raped her in Hazaribag district, police said on Sunday.

The woman constable alleged that the sub-inspector had physical relationship with her after promising to marry her.

But the SI was no refusing to marry her, she alleged.

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The commerce ministry on Monday said it has banned exports of electronic cigarettes, e-Hookah and other similar devices.

The notification was issued to comply with the government's ordinance issued on September 18 to ban production, import, distribution and sale of electronic cigarettes.

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been fielded again from Karnal as the BJP announced on Monday names of its 78 candidates for October 21 assembly polls in Haryana where the saffron party is seeking to retain power.

The party has given tickets to a number of noted sportspersons who had joined it in recent weeks with wrestler Babita Phogat, former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh, Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt contesting from Dadri, Pehowa and Baroda respectively, its national general secretary Arun Singh told reporters here.

Patna, Sep 30 (PTI) After being pounded by heavy rain over the weekend, most parts of the Bihar capital remained submerged even as the state-wide death toll mounted to 25

In Patna, there has been a let up in rainfall since morning though the sky is overcast and the IMD has predicted showers later in the day

According to the state disaster management department, six casualties have been reported from Gaya district where five persons were buried alive in a wall collapse while another person was drowned in a river which was in spate because of incessant rains

Thane, Sep 29 (PTI) Thane Police have nailed a 48- year-old man in connection with the rape of a woman here in Maharashtra on the basis of bite marks on his chest, an official said on Sunday.

The accused, Lakhan Devkar, caught hold of the 50- year-old woman, a resident of Ulhasnagar township, when she was returning home alone on June 23 this year.

He dragged her to secluded place in the area where he raped her, police inspector Balaji Pandhre said.

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is looking at investing USD 100 billion in India in areas of petrochemicals, infrastructure and mining among others, considering the country's growth potential.

Saudi Ambassador Dr Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati has said India is an an attractive investment destination for Saudi Arabia and it is eyeing long-term partnerships with New Delhi in key sectors such as oil, gas and mining.

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) The government on Sunday banned the export of onion to increase availability of the commodity in the domestic market and contain rising prices.

"Export of all varieties of onions...is prohibited with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), an arm of the commerce ministry which deals with exports and import related issues, said in a notification.

The DGFT on September 13 had imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 850 per tonne to curb its shipments and help bring down rising domestic prices.

Baghpat, Sep 29 (PTI) Two men have been booked in connection with the rape of a 35-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district, police said on Sunday.

In her complaint, the Ghaziabad-based woman alleged that on Friday, one of the accused, Sunil, called her to his house in Baghpat on the pretext of providing her a job, Kotwali police station incharge Arvind Kumar said.

When she reached there, Sunil and another man present at his house offered her a drink, the officer said, citing the complaint.