Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) The government on Tuesday extended the deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar by three months to June 30 to enable people comply with the mandatory income tax provisions.

The deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar was to end on March 31. As per the income tax department, failure to link the two unique identities will lead to the unlinked PAN becoming inoperative.

Mumbai, Mar 28 (PTI) The three-day deliberations at the first meeting of the trade and investment working group of G-20 began in the financial capital on Tuesday.

Delegates visited the Bharat Diamond Bourse, the largest diamond bourse in the world, and were also briefed about the industry, which exports to the tune of USD 23 billion annually, as per an official statement.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) More than three dozen towns and villages of nine states -- from Delhi to Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat to Assam -- have become cyber crime hotspots which are being closely monitored by law enforcement agencies, sources said on Tuesday.

Besides, a number of hostile countries have been trying for long to cripple India's financial system and national security grid where additional preventive measures are put in place by the government.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) India is free to use its resources to fulfil the energy needs of its people and countries historically responsible for climate change cannot ask it to stop its development, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday.

Addressing an event organised by trade association ASSOCHAM, he said India believes in climate justice which means everyone has access to resources to lead a dignified life.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An Afghan rights activist who has campaigned for girls’ education has been arrested in Kabul, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Matiullah Wesa, founder and president of Pen Path — a local nongovernmental group that travels across Afghanistan with a mobile school and library — was arrested in the Afghan capital on Monday.

Local reports said Taliban security forces detained Wesa after his return from a trip to Europe.

Amethi (UP), Mar 27 (PTI) A case has been registered against a local BJP leader for allegedly selling a piece of land to police for the construction of the Police Lines for Rs 2 crore with the help of forged documents, while he had already taken a loan of Rs 78 lakh against it.

Superintendent of Police Elamaran G on Monday said BJP leader Omprakash alias Prakash Mishra had committed forgery and a case has been registered against him.

New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) Upping the ante over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, the Congress will hold press conferences in 35 cities over the next two days on 'Democracy Dis'Qualified' while also highlighting other issues such as the Adani matter and the alleged "clean chit" to fugitives.

Gandhi was on Thursday sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. He was subsequently disqualified from Lok Sabha.

New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) Leaders of at least 18 opposition parties met at the residence of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge here on Monday and alleged that the BJP-led government is destroying democracy.

They also decided to continue with their campaign against the Narendra Modi government.

Among the parties that were represented at the meeting, which was followed by dinner, were the DMK, NCP, JD(U), BRS, CPI(M), CPI, AAP, MDMK, KC, TMC, RSP, RJD, NC, IUML, VCK, SP and JMM.

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces have discovered a weapon cache and mine-making center of Daesh, or Islamic State (IS), in Shiberghan, the capital of Afghanistan's northern Jawzjan province, the provincial police chief said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the security forces raided a house in Sakhi Abad village of Shiberghan on Saturday and discovered a variety of arms and ammunition, including a suicide vest, hand grenades and objects used in making mines and explosive devices, Shah Mohammad Ahmadi said.

KABUL, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan caretaker government has dismissed Washington's claim over the alleged stronger presence of Daesh, or Islamic State (IS), in Afghanistan as utterly fabricated.

"The statements of U.S. officials about the number of IS militants in Afghanistan are not true. Daesh militants have already been reduced in ranks and suppressed," chief spokesman of the Afghan caretaker administration Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted.