Indian Sub-continent

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Schools in New Delhi will be closed for a week and construction sites for four days, the Indian capital's chief minister said on Saturday, as the city tries to protect people in a worsening air pollution crisis.

Arvind Kejriwal said talks on a potential complete lockdown in the capital were also underway, but any decision would only be taken after consultation with the central government.

KABUL, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least one civilian was killed and four others wounded when an explosion struck a bus on a busy road in the western part of Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday, according to multiple sources.

"We heard a huge blast in the minibus carrying commuters in Mahtab Qala locality of Dashti Bari area. The whole place has now been sealed off by the Taliban security forces," an eyewitness told Xinhua.

The vehicle caught fire, sending a column of thick smoke into the sky and triggering panic, the witness said.

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday questioned the double standards of the West, saying that all donations and aid from the West to Afghanistan stopped when the Afghan people needed them the most.

13 Nov 2021; MEMO: Pakistan's Prime Minister on Friday reiterated the need for the US to release Afghanistan's frozen assets to "prevent an economic meltdown" in the country.

In a meeting with the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and a visiting Afghan delegation, Imran Khan "underscored the urgent need to release Afghanistan's frozen assets and facilitation of banking transactions to prevent an economic meltdown," according to a statement by the premier's office.

Budaun (UP), Nov 12 (PTI) A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her relative in a village under Ujhani police station area of the district here, police said on Friday.

The accused has been arrested, police said.

The victim was playing outside her house on Thursday evening when the accused, aged 22, took her away to a nearby forest and allegedly raped her, police said.

On finding the girl missing, the parents searched for the girl and traced her to the forest on being told by villagers that they had seen her going with the accused that side.

Jaipur, Nov 12 (PTI) Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav claimed here on Friday that the Samajwadi Party will form government in UP after the upcoming state assembly elections.

He also targeted the Centre, saying inflation and unemployment have become big issues facing people of the whole country.

BJP's state in-charge Arun Singh, however, termed Yadav's claim as hollow and said there is no question of the Samajwadi Party making government in UP.

Cuttack (Odisha), Nov 12 (PTI) An Odisha court on Friday sentenced a 60-year-old man to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a girl seven years ago.

A POCSO court in Cuttack also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on Ajay Samal and directed the District Legal Services Authority to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the rape survivor, who is an orphan.

Kanpur: Moradabad has reported a total of 22 new dengue cases on Friday, informed Dr Nanak Saran, Chief Medical Officer at District Hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad.

He also said that around 350 dengue cases have been reported from October 22 till now in the district.

Meanwhile, Kanpur has reported 13 new Zika virus cases on Friday, while 31 people have also recovered from the virus.

"At present, the active caseload of Zika virus stands at 90," said Dr Nepal Singh, Chief Medical Officer of Kanpur.

Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) Blasting Kangana Ranaut for her comment that the Independence India won in 1947 was "bheek", Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi on Friday described the actor as an agent of hate.

Padmashri Kangana Ranaut is an agent of hate, intolerance and rabidity. It is not surprising that she feels that India got its freedom in 2014. Hate, Intolerance, Sham Patriotism, intolerance and oppression were liberated in India in 2014, he tweeted.

Jammu, Nov 12 (PTI) National Conference provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta on Friday said Jammu and Kashmir was passing through a most difficult phase and asked the partymen to shoulder responsibilities of steering it to peace and political stability.

He said the people were looking towards the National Conference with hope and, therefore, it is incumbent upon the cadre to meet their aspirations and expectations.