Indian Sub-continent

Islamabad, Apr 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday hit back at Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for his critical remarks, taking the polarisation in the coup-prone country to new limits amid economic meltdown and bitter political divide.

New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) The Centre has prepared a list of 28 most wanted gangsters operating from 14 foreign countries, with nine of them hiding in Canada and five in the United States, sources said on Monday.

Cases of murder, extortion and kidnapping have been slapped against these gangsters, including Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi, suspected of being the mastermind behind the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala last year.

New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck began his two-day trip to India on Monday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar receiving him at the airport here, reflecting the importance New Delhi has attached to the visit.

The Bhutanese King will hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

In the evening, Jaishankar called on the visiting dignitary.

Lucknow, Apr 3 (PTI) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor and Ram temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Misra's son Saket Misra were on Monday nominated as members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

According to a notification issued by Chandrashekhar, Special Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh late on Monday night, the Governor has nominated a total of six persons as MLCs against eight vacancies.

Surat, Apr 3 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday told a sessions court in Surat his conviction by a magistrate's court in a 2019 defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark was erroneous, patently perverse, and he was sentenced in a manner so as to attract disqualification as a Member of Parliament.

NEW DELHI (AP) — An Indian court on Monday suspended a two-year prison sentence for Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as he appeals a criminal conviction for mocking the prime minister’s surname that saw him expelled from Parliament, dealing a huge blow to his Congress Party ahead of general elections next year.

Gandhi, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger in the 2024 polls, was ousted after a court sentenced him to two years in prison for defamation for a comment made in a 2019 election speech.

Lahore, Apr 2 (PTI) Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that the then Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had put pressure on him to develop friendly ties with India.

Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue... However, their ties nose-dived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.

Islamabad, Apr 2 (PTI) Cash-strapped Pakistan plans to place its first order for Russian crude oil next month and it will take about four weeks for the commodity to reach the country, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik said.

Pakistan, which is currently grappling with high external debt and a weak local currency, is desperate to purchase cheap crude at discounted rates from Russia.

New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) Former president Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said barring Narendra Modi, who spoke about building toilets from the ramparts of the Red Fort, no other prime minister had laid stress on the subject.

Kovind was speaking at the National Conference on Sociology of Sanitation where Modi's message was also read out.

Dharwad (K'taka), Apr 2 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said India was not a country that would put up with its national flag being pulled down by somebody; it was "very responsible" along with being "very firm".