Indian Sub-continent

Mumbai, Sep 3 (PTI) Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Friday slammed the Centre's National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), saying his Congress party monetised non-core, loss-making assets when in power, in stark contrast to what the Narendra Modi-led government proposes to do.

Addressing a press conference here, Chidambaram said the Congress never sold off strategic assets. We always ensured that there is no monopoly in monetisation as we chose assets based on criteria," he said.

ISLAMABAD, Sep 2 (APP): Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Australian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg on Thursday exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan as well as on bilateral relations.

During the telephonic conversation, the Austrian Foreign Minister thanked Pakistan for its support in facilitating transit of Austrian nationals and others from Afghanistan.

TASS, September 2: The Taliban radical militant group (outlawed in Russia) decided to launch a military operation against the resistance in the Afghan province of Panjshir, the Al Jazeera TV channel reported on Thursday citing Taliban sources.

Kanpur: A police officer has been suspended after a minor girl, who was being questioned by him in a case, consumed poison.

The girl's mother alleged that her 14-year-old daughter attempted suicide following her harassment by the Rajpur Station officer.

She also alleged that there were scratch marks on the girl's body, which suggested that the police officer had even tortured her physically.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Keshav Kumar Chaudhary said that Vinod Kumar, station house officer, Rajpur, has been suspended with immediate effect.

Amethi, Sep 1 (PTI) A minor girl was allegedly raped by a 17-year-old youth in a village here, police said on Wednesday.

In a complaint, the 10-year-old girl's family members alleged that she was playing on August 30 when the youth took her to the fields and raped her.

The family members also said that she was bleeding for three days and narrated her plight to the doctor.

Circle Officer Ajay Kumar Singh said a case has been registered in this regard and the matter is being probed.

New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) India's sugar export to Afghanistan has almost come to a halt with Indian merchants reporting cancellation of orders in the wake of the current situation there, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

The Taliban ousted the government in Afghanistan and took over the control of the country after capturing Kabul last month.

Afghanistan is one of the top three destinations for Indian sugar exports. About 6,00,000-7,00,000 tonne of the sweetener is exported annually.

Kolkata, Sep 1 (PTI) The West Bengal BJP on Wednesday threatened legal action against its two MLAs who had joined the TMC earlier this week if they do not resign from the assembly within seven days.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, asserted that the party's legislators remain united.

BJP MLA from Bagda, Biswajit Das, switched over to the TMC on Tuesday, while another saffron camp legislator, Tanmoy Ghosh, did so on Monday.

Kolkata, Sep 1 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to withdraw the price hike of LPG cylinders and said rising prices of fuels and domestic cooking gas are "unacceptable".

Claiming that the Centre is taking "anti-people" policies, Banerjee said "unprecedented" hikes in petrol, diesel and cooking gas are taking a toll on common people.

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Indian authorities cracked down on public movement and imposed a near-total communications blackout in disputed Kashmir on Thursday after the death of Syed Ali Geelani, a top separatist leader who became the emblem of the region’s defiance against New Delhi.

Banda (UP), Sep 2 (PTI) A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped at a village in the Girwan area here, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on August 26 when the girl was returning home. She was raped by three men, all aged around 22-23 years, Girwa Station House Officer (SHO) Arjun Singh said.

An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act on August 31 on a complaint from family members, he said.