Indian Sub-continent

Jajpur, Jul 3 (PTI) A newborn girl, who was allegedly sold by her parents due to poverty, in Odisha's Jajpur district, has been rescued, police said.

The incident came to the fore after a child development project officer of Dasarathpur block filed a recent police complaint that Suresh Das and his wife sold the infant to a childless couple for Rs 7,000, they said.

The baby girl was rescued from Champeipal village on Friday evening and handed over to the child welfare committee, a senior police officer said.

No one has been arrested yet, he said.

New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) Expressing concern over the current state of the judiciary, Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Sunday said some members of the institution have "let us down" and "I hang my head in shame" for what has happened in the recent past.

In an interview with PTI, Sibal also said that in recent years, free speech, and how it has been interpreted by the Supreme Court, unfortunately, is not allowed the space that is constitutionally permissible to it.

NEW DELHI, Jul 2 (NNN-PTI) – India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), yesterday achieved a milestone in proving critical technologies for the development of future unmanned aircraft.

An official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said, the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator carried out its successful maiden flight.

Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, waypoint navigation and a smooth touchdown, added the statement.

KABUL, Jul 2 (NNN-ANA) – Eight people were injured, after unknown elements threw a hand grenade into a religious school, in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province today, a local television channel reported.

The grenade attack on Usman Zonurain seminary, in Rodat district, took place early today, and all the injured have been taken to a hospital, Tolonews quoted police spokesman, Abdul Basir Zabuli, as saying.

The attack came amid a three-day gathering of religious scholars and elders, in the capital, Kabul which conclude today.

MUMBAI, Jul 2 (NNN-PTI) – The fifth Global Film Tourism Conclave was inaugurated yesterday, in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, with the theme “Unleashing the Power of Cinematic Tourism.”

The conclave has been organised with the objective of providing a unique platform for Film Commissions, Tourism Boards and Production Houses, to promote their locations, incentives and services to the vibrant Indian film industry.

KABUL, July 2 (Reuters) - A Taliban-run gathering of thousands of male religious and ethnic leaders ended on Saturday by asking foreign governments to formally recognise their administration, but made no signals of changes on international demands such as the opening of girls' high schools.

The Afghan economy has plunged into crisis as Western governments have withdrawn funding and strictly enforced sanctions, saying the Taliban government needs to change course on human rights, especially those of women.

NEW DELHI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the massive landslide in India's northeastern state of Manipur rose to 27 on Saturday, state-run broadcaster All India Radio said.

The landslide on Thursday hit Tupul yard railway construction camp in Noney district, where some Territorial Army (TA) men were guarding a major railway line construction site.

"In Manipur, with six more bodies of army personnel found this morning from the debris of landslides in Noney district, the number of dead has gone up to 27," the broadcaster said.

Kanpur: As many as 429 dilapidated buildings have been chosen to demolish in a meeting held at the Municipal Corporation building here recently.

The Municipal Corporation officials in a review meeting held at its Headquarters here on Friday regarding the demolition of dilapidated buildings have decided to initiate action.

The Chief Engineer said that 429 buildings in 6 zones have been selected as risky and dilapidated.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Engineer said that a notice has been issued for the early demolition of the dilapidated buildings.

Kanpur: On the direction extending from Kanpur to Kannauj and Bilhaur via GT Road, the district's Shivrajpur Qasba exists.

In this town adjacent to the banks of the Ganges, there was once a citadel (fort) of King Shivraj Dev of the Chandel dynasty.

Raja Sati Prasad had built a five-kilometre- long tunnel from the fort to the Ganga Ghat.

Shivrajpur was founded by King Shivraj Dev of in the year 1336. His big fort was told to be demolished by the British after the 1857 revolt.

Mumbai, Jun 28 (PTI) The rupee plunged by 46 paise to close at record low of 78.83 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, weighed down by persistent foreign capital outflows and a surge in crude oil prices.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened lower at 78.53 against the greenback and finally settled at 78.83, down 46 paise over its previous close.