Indian Sub-continent

Chennai, Dec 14 (PTI) Holding that adjournments are enemies to the justice delivery system, the Madras High Court has directed the District and Sessions Court, Thiruvannamalai, to advance the date of hearing of the murder case of a social activist, in the first week of January.

On that date, the process of serving the charge sheet shall be completed and thereafter, the trial should be commenced without causing any further delay. The judge shall proceed with the trial and dispose of the case within six months, Justice S M Subramaniam has said.

Ghaziabad, Dec 14 (PTI) The Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Tuesday demanded that Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra 'Teni' be sacked and arrested over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

The BKU, which is a part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that spearheaded the anti-farm laws campaign against the Centre, said the farmers' struggle would continue till the minister's arrest.

New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) The Quad is a very contemporary arrangement having an open-minded and creative approach that has helped it in moving "very effectively" in addressing various problems, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

Talking about the importance of critical technologies and India's journey in acquiring them in the backdrop of the Indo-US nuclear deal around 15 years back, he said though Washington discovered a certain value in ties with New Delhi, there were others who were "dogmatic" in their views of the world and found it hard to do this.

New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) The Pakistan high commission on Tuesday said it has issued 112 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit Shree Katas Raj temples in Punjab province's Chakwal district.

It said the group will visit the Katas Raj temples, also known as Qila Katas or complex of Katas temples from December 17 to 23.

"Today, the high commission for Pakistan in India issued 112 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims for their visit to a prominent Hindu temple in Punjab, Pakistan, " the high commission said in a statement.

Dehradun, Dec 14 (PTI) An RSS leader from Nagpur, Sukumar Satyanarayan Kare, who had left Delhi for Dehradun on December 8 has been missing for nearly a week.

Kare, who serves the RSS as a sangathan mantri (organisational secretary), started from Delhi for Dehradun by the Shatabdi Express train on December 8 but did not reach here, the Government Railway Police, Dehradun, which has registered a case in connection with his disappearance, said on Tuesday.

Khandwa, Dec 14 (PTI) A 45-year-old woman was killed in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh allegedly after a failed rape attempt, with two accused being arrested on Tuesday, a police official said.

The woman's body was found on a farm near Chamate Phate village, some 15 kilometres from the district headquarters, on Saturday, Chhegaon Makhan police station in charge Radheshyam Malviya said.

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (PTI): As many as 16 children from West Bengal, who were allegedly trafficked and engaged for labour work at a company near here, were on Tuesday rescued and three persons arrested, police said.

On receipt of credible information that children between the age of 13 to 16 years were detained and exploited for labour work in a packaging material firm in Nacharam, police teams raided the company and rescued 16 minor boys, a release from Rachakonda Police Commissionerate said.

New Delhi, Dec 14 (PTI) Jamia Millia Islamia has been ranked A++ in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) review, according to a university statement issued on Tuesday.

The grading provided by the NAAC is crucial for funds and grants allotted to a university by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Jamia Millia Islamia got a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.61. The CGPA for A++ accreditation is between 3.51 to 4.

Medininagar, Dec 14 (PTI) Seven cadres of the banned Jharkhand Jan Mukti Parishad (JJMP) were arrested in Palamu district on Tuesday, police said.

They were arrested from Khajuri village in Panki police station area where they had assembled, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Lesliganj) Alok Kumar Tuti said.

Though no firearm was recovered from them, they were wanted in several cases, he said.

They are being interrogated and a further investigation is underway, he added.

NEW DELHI, Dec 14 (Reuters) - India is struggling to export its surplus of COVID-19 vaccines as logistical hurdles delay their use in many countries despite low levels of inoculation, vaccine producer the Serum Institute of India (SII) and a government official said on Tuesday.

The SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker that produces the AstraZeneca (AZN.L), Novavax (NVAX.O) and Sputnik COVID-19 shots, has already announced plans to temporarily halve output of the AstraZeneca drug until more orders came, including possibly through boosters.