Indian Sub-continent

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss defense and trade relations as India attempts to balance its ties with the United States.

The agenda for the annual summit includes political and defense issues, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said. The two countries are expected to sign several agreements, particularly in trade and defense.

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Some 500 tons of food and clothing donated by China have arrived in Afghanistan's border city of Hairatan, northern Balkh province, a local official has said.

A total of 27 containers packed with 500 tons of food and clothing entered Afghanistan via the Hairatan port on Thursday and Friday. The supplies will be delivered to different provinces and will be distributed among the needy people, Abdul Matin Sayyed from the provincial custom office told Xinhua.

Muzaffarnagar, Dec 4 (PTI) A Special POCSO Court has sentenced a man to 10 years of imprisonment for raping his 15-year-old niece, court officials said here on Saturday.

Special Judge Sanjiv Kumar Tiwari also imposed a fine of Rs 27,000 on the accused, Jitendra, convicting him under section 363, 366 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will soon become a clone of the BJP as it is imitating the saffron party.

"Imitation is the best form of flattery. The more the AAP imitates the BJP, the less relevant it will become. Soon, the AAP will become a clone of the BJP," he said on Twitter.

The former Union minister also hit out at the BJP for changing three chief ministers in Uttarakhand in five years.

Agra, Dec 4 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly raping and killing a girl here, police said on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Sanjay, SSP Sudhir Kumar Singh said.

During the course of investigation, the police became suspicious of the man and started inquiring about him.

He was arrested on Friday night, the SSP added.

Kolkata, Dec 5 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday condoled the death of veteran journalist Vinod Dua.

Sixty-seven-year-old Dua died in a hospital in Delhi on Saturday, his daughter Mallika Dua had said.

"I deeply mourn the death of prominent journalist Vinod Dua. He had made imprints of success for a long time. He was one of the torchbearers in news reading on television," Banerjee said in a statement in Bengali.

Puducherry, Dec 5 (PTI) The Union Territory of Puducherry has made it mandatory for all persons to get the COVID-19 vaccine with an aim to achieve cent per cent coverage and said those skipping it would face penal action under law.

The Director of Health and Family Welfare Services G.Sriramulu stated this in an order on Saturday night and said it woud come into immediate effect.

The government has invoked the provisions of the Puducherry Public Health Act 1973 to implement compulsory vaccination.

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) A 37-year-old man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania has tested positive for Omicron, making it the first case of the new COVID-19 variant in the national capital and the fifth in the country.

The patient, currently admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, has mild symptoms, hospital officials said.

Agartala, Dec 5 (PTI) India will supply 20 per cent more power to Bangladesh as the two countries renewed the contract for another five years, officials said on Sunday.

Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) will supply 192 mw power to Bangladesh, an increase from the earlier 160 mw it supplied, as per the renewed agreement.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister told Sri Lanka’s president that more than 100 people have been detained in the lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager and suspects will be “prosecuted with the full severity of the law.”

Imran Khan said in an overnight tweet that he spoke to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa by phone to convey the country’s anger and shame and assure him that justice would be done for Friday’s “vigilante killing” of Priyantha Kumara.