Indian Sub-continent

NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 34,624,360 today, as 8,603 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, showed the health ministry’s latest data.

Besides, as many as 415 deaths, due to the pandemic were reported since yesterday morning, taking the total death toll to 470,530.

There are still 99,974 active COVID-19 cases in the country, with a fall of two active cases during the past 24 hours.

KABUL, Dec 4 (NNN-ANA) – Afghan security forces discovered and seized a variety of weapons from eastern Panjshir province, the state-run news agency, Bakhtar reported today.

“Security forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, during several military operations, collected 74 rounds of different types of weapons in Abshar district of Panjshir province,” Bakhtar said in its report.

The seized weapons have been submitted to relevant organs, the news agency added.

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Police arrested 13 suspects and detained dozens of others in the lynching of a Sri Lankan employee at a sports equipment factory in eastern Pakistan, officials said Saturday.

A mob of hundreds of enraged Muslims descended on the factory in the district of Sialkot in Punjab province Friday after the Sri Lankan manager of the factory was accused of blasphemy.

03 Dec 2021; MEMO: Bangladesh called on the international community to do more to achieve a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian crisis by recognising an independent State of Palestine and its rightful place in the United Nations (UN).

"The international community must make genuine efforts to address the root causes of the Palestinian crisis, and put an end to the Israeli aggression," said Bangladesh's Ambassador to the UN, Rabab Fatima, while addressing the UN General Assembly yesterday.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 4 (PTI) A case was registered against a woman Head Constable after 578 cartons of wine were found missing from Kairana Police Station warehouse, officials said on Saturday.

Head Constable Taresh Sharma was booked under section 409 (breach of trust by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code at the order of the Superintendent of Police.

Sharma was held responsible for the missing wine - seized in 12 cases - in an inquiry conducted by Circle Officer Pradeep Singh.

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) All 28 ships and submarines commissioned into the Indian Navy over the last seven years have been built in India, Chief of Naval Staff R Hari Kumar said on Friday, emphasising the force's focus on indigenisation.

Addressing a press conference ahead of Navy Day on December 4, he said 39 ships and submarines are currently under construction out of which 37 are being built at Indian shipyards.

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) Seven aircraft of the Indian Air Force have crashed in the last two years, the government said in Lok Sabha on Friday.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, replying to a question, said every aircraft accident in the IAF is investigated by a separate Court of Inquiry (Col).

"A total of seven aircraft of Air Force have crashed in the last two years, including the Mirage 2000 which crashed recently in Madhya Pradesh," he said.

Kanpur: Hitting at the state government over the Uttar Pradesh Teachers' Eligibility Test question paper leak, BSP national general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra alleged that the question papers for the test was on sale.

He allegedly charged that the ruling party leaders were raising money by selling question papers at high rate to fund their election campaigns. 

He expressed his views while addressing the party workers' conference at Bilhaur and one reserved assembly seats in Kanpur and Unnao, respectively.

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) In a setback to PepsiCo India, the plant varieties protection authority PPV&FR on Friday revoked its varietal registration certificate which was granted to the food and beverages major on a potato variety 'FL-2027' in the country.

Reacting to the development, PepsiCo said it is in the process of reviewing the order passed by the Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Authority.

PPV&FR is a statutory body set up under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001.

Ghaziabad, Dec 3 (PTI) Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has been shortlisted for the 21st Century Icon Awards given annually by London-based Squared Watermelon company, a BKU leader said on Friday.

The award will be presented on December 10, BKU's Uttar Pradesh vice-president Rajbir Singh said.

"I am not going to London to take this award because I am busy with the protest," Tikait told PTI over the phone.

He said he will accept the award when all the farmers' demands have been met.