A Delhi court yesterday asked India's former junior minister for External Affairs M J Akbar to testify before it on October 31 in the criminal defamation complaint he filed against his former journalist-colleague Priya Ramani who has accused him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago.

Defamation lawsuits filed by two Indian public figures accused of sexual harassment have sparked warnings from women's rights activists and legal experts that prolonged court battles could put the brakes on the country's nascent #MeToo movement.

Conservative Hindu groups prevent women from entering an Indian hill temple, in defiance of India's top court which says a centuries-long ban at the holy site is illegal.

An Indian government minister resigned yesterday, saying he was doing so in order to fight accusations of sexual harassment levied by several women, the most high-profile casualty of a growing #MeToo movement.

India has reported an outbreak of the Zika virus, which is spread through mosquito, with 80 confirmed cases since last month including 22 pregnant women in the western state of Rajasthan, officials said yesterday. In rare cases, if pregnant women contract the virus their babies can develop brain defects.

As the #MeToo movement gains ground in India, 19 female journalists who worked with 'The Asian Age' newspaper and one who worked with Deccan Chronicle, came out in support of their colleague Priya Ramani who has accused union minister MJ Akbar of sexual harassment, a joint statement issued by them said.

The northern Indian city of Allahabad will henceforth be called Prayagraj after the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet cleared the change of name yesterday.

Indian actor Alok Nath files a civil defamation suit against writer-producer Vinta Nanda, who accused him of rape.

Delhi's biggest coal power plant was set to shut down yesterday as a new emergency plan to improve air quality in one of the world's most polluted

A year after the fall of US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, a flurry of allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior has shaken the Indian media and entertainment industries as the #MeToo movement finally beginning to take shape in the world's largest democracy.

In a statement released after he arrived in India from an official tour in Nigeria, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar terms the allegations against him “false and fabricated”.

As the #MeToo campaign rages on in India, Congress party president Rahul Gandhi yesterday came out in support of the movement, saying it was about time that everyone learns to treat women with respect and dignity.

Cyclonic storm Titli left eight people dead and caused widespread damage in two coastal districts in India's Andhra Pradesh yesterday. However, there was no casualty or major destruction in adjacent Odisha, officials said.

Indian forces yesterday killed a Kashmir militant leader who became a folk hero in the troubled territory after giving up geology research at an Indian university to become a militant, officials said.

India's main opposition party Congress said yesterday that junior minister for external affairs and well-known journalist MJ Akbar must either offer a satisfactory explanation on the allegations of sexual harassment against him or resign immediately.

India has sent experts to try to contain an outbreak of the zika virus in the popular tourist destination of Jaipur, capital of the northern state of Rajasthan, with a close watch on pregnant women.

India's belated #MeToo movement snowballed yesterday after several female journalists accused a minister in Narendra Modi's government of sexual harassment and a producer alleged she was raped by a veteran Bollywood actor.

The year-old #MeToo movement has long failed to take root in India, but a Bollywood actress's accusations of sexual harassment appear to be emboldening women to speak out at last.

Rahul Gandhi, India's opposition leader and scion of the political Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, had an explosion scare after balloons at a political roadshow burst into flames near his vehicle, police said Sunday.

Russia and India's leaders yesterday announced a raft of deals worth billions of dollars including for a military defence system, as New Delhi walks a tightrope between Moscow and Washington with a wary eye on China.