Indian Sub-continent

NEW DELHI, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually launched a project of redeveloping 508 railway stations across the country at an estimated cost of 250 billion Indian rupees (over 3 billion U.S. dollars) to provide better facilities to the commuters.

The redevelopment of railway stations would include better seating arrangements on platforms, upgraded waiting rooms, and free Wi-Fi connectivity.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan awoke Sunday as an inmate in a high-security prison after a court handed him a three-year sentence for corruption, a development that could end his future in politics.

The court ruled Saturday that national cricketing hero Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 but remains the country’s leading opposition figure, had concealed assets after selling state gifts.

Agra, Aug 5 (PTI) An local court on Saturday sentenced BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria to two years' jail for thrashing staff of a private power firm in 2011.

The former Minister of State for Human Resource Development, who now faces disqualification from the Lok Sabha, was also levied with a fine of Rs 50,000.

The lawmaker from UP's Etawah was booked for thrashing the staff of Torrent Power Limited in Agra in 2011, when the state was governed by the Bahujan Samaj Party.

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) A court here has acquitted two people in a case of arson, assault and dacoity during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the charges were “not proved at all.” The court was hearing a case against Sonu, Ranjeet Singh, Virender and Rohit, who were accused of being a part of a riotous mob that torched an autorickshaw, besides robbing the auto driver, in Karawal Nagar here during the riots on February 24, 2020.

Guwahati, Aug 6 (PTI) An expert committee formed by the Assam government to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to end polygamy submitted its report to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday.

Sarma shared pictures of the committee handing over the report to him and the cover of the document on Twitter.

"Today, the expert committee formed to examine the legislative competence of the state legislature to enact a law to end polygamy in Assam submitted its report.

Islamabad, Aug 6 (PTI) Imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on Sunday accused authorities of denying his legal team access to the leader to get his signatures on essential documents for court purposes.

Khan, 70, was arrested from his home in Lahore on Saturday shortly after an Islamabad trial court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana corruption case and sentenced him to three-year imprisonment.

Imphal, Aug 6 (PTI) The Manipur Police said it has so far recovered 1,195 looted arms from different parts of the state.

In a statement, it said 1,057 arms were recovered from the valley districts and 138 arms from the hill districts.

Besides, thousands of ammunition were also recovered, mostly from the valley districts.

Varanasi (UP), Aug 6 (PTI) The Archaeological Survey of India resumed the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque here on the third day on Sunday to determine if the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure, even as the Muslim side warned they would boycott the entire exercise if "rumours" are spread that Hindu religious symbols and objects have been found.

Government counsel Rajesh Mishra said that on Sunday the survey work began at around 8.00 am and will continue till 5.00 pm.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested Saturday after a court handed him a three-year jail sentence for corruption, a development that could end his future in politics.

The court ruled that Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 but remains the country’s leading opposition figure, had concealed assets after selling state gifts. Police moved quickly to take the former cricket star from his home in the eastern city of Lahore to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, senior police officer Ali Nasir Rizvi said.

NEW DELHI, Aug 4 (Reuters) - India's top court suspended opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi's defamation conviction on Friday, allowing him to return to parliament and contest national elections due next year.

Gandhi was convicted in March in a case brought by a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the western state of Gujarat over comments he made in 2019 deemed insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others with the same name, including the lawmaker.