Indian Sub-continent

02 Dec 2021; MEMO: The interim government of Afghanistan, on Thursday, protested a UN Committee's decision not to allow its envoy to resume the Afghan seat at the UN, Anadolu News Agency reports.

A nine-member Credentials Committee of the General Assembly on Wednesday decided to defer its decision on the applications by the Taliban-led interim government in Afghanistan and military junta of Myanmar to replace their countries' envoys.

Colombo, Dec 3 (PTI) The Chinese embassy here has confirmed that an energy project in Sri Lanka's northern province has been suspended.

"Sino Soar Hybrid Technology, being suspended to build hybrid energy system in 3 northern islands due to security concerns from a third party, the embassy tweeted.

China has instead inked a contract with Maldives to establish 12 solar power plants at 12 Maldivian islands, it said.

Hyderabad, Dec 2 (PTI): The Cyberabad Police here on Thursday said they have busted two fake call centres in New Delhi and Noida and arrested 28 people, including several women, for allegedly duping citizens by posing as employees of a State-run bank and an app-based loan platform.

Police raided the fake call centre in Delhi and arrested a gang of 14 involved in as many cases in Cyberabad Commissionerate and 195 cases all over the country, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police Stephen Raveendra told reporters here.

Mumbai, Dec 2 (PTI) The rupee on Thursday slipped 12 paise to close at 75.03 against the US dollar, weighed by uncertainties over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency opened at 75.06 and witnessed an intra-day high of 74.90 and a low of 75.07 against the US dollar.

The local unit finally settled at 75.03, down 12 paise over its previous close of 74.91.

Lalitpur (UP), Dec 2 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked the Uttar Pradesh government, alleging that it left people to die and stopped them from entering the state while they were walking back home during the coronavirus lockdown.

The pictures seen during the Covid pandemic "were not even seen during the Partition", he alleged during a rally at Ginaut Bagh of Lalitpur district.

"Who can forget the pictures when a lockdown was imposed and our labourer brothers had to come from other places," Yadav said.

New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) Defending party chief Mamata Banerjee's statement that there is "no UPA", TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Thursday said there has been no United Progressive Alliance for the last 10 years.

Banerjee met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Wednesday and called for fighting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unitedly, while taking a veiled swipe at the Congress leadership.

Prayagraj, Dec 2 (PTI) Three Kashmiri students, studying engineering in an Agra college and arrested on sedition and cyber-terrorism charges, have moved the Allahabad High Court directly for bail, saying that lawyers in the Taj city have refused to take up their case for bail in the sessions court.

The three students were arrested in October this year for cheering Pakistan following the neighbouring country's victory in a T20 Cricket World Cup match against India.

New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) India on Thursday said its policy on Taiwan is clear and consistent and it is focused on promoting interactions in areas of trade, investment and tourism among others.

India's position on Taiwan was articulated by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan while replying to a question in Rajya Sabha.

"Government of India's policy on Taiwan is clear and consistent," he said in a written reply.

New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Thursday said that the stand-off between farmers and the government continues as the Centre is forcing them to stay put at protest sites by not giving any formal communication with regard to their pending demands, an official statement said.

Pathanamthitta (Ker), Dec 3 (PTI) Kerala police on Friday arrested four people, including a RSS worker, among the five accused in the murder case of a CPI(M) local secretary at Peringara near here.

P B Sandeep Kumar, who is also a former panchayat member, was stabbed to death here on Thursday night.

Police have arrested prime accused Jishnu Chathankari (23), a RSS worker, Pramod (23), Nandu (24) and Mohammed Faisal (22).

Another accused, Abhi, is absconding, police added.