New Delhi, December 25
As the historic Ramlila Grounds await the leaders of Aam Admi Party (AAP), who will be sworn in by the Lieutenant Governor on December 28, the eager fans of AAP founder and new Chief Minister of the city, Arvind Kejriwal, visited the venue to have a look at the preparations.

Amid high ranking officers of Delhi Police, senior officials of Delhi Government and Public Welfare Department who were busy inspecting the grounds and planning security and other facilities for the final day, there were silent spectators who stood nearby with an urge to see the making of Ramlila Grounds for the grand day.

People reached the place in speculation that the ceremony will take place tomorrow as was announced earlier. However, it was later postponed to December 28.

Anil Kumar Sahu from Jharkhand, who earns his living by selling peanuts at New Delhi Railway Station, appeared more than happy to see the place being decked up for the mega event. "I thought the ceremony is tomorrow. So came to see the preparations," said Sahu, who lives in Shastri Park.

He will be a confirmed guest at the oath-taking ceremony. "I would definitely come to see the function. I voted for 'Jharu' (broom, the election symbol of AAP)," he said. The victory of AAP has firmed his hopes for better governance which will hopefully make the city more affordable for the poor.

Vishnu, a labourer, who had come all the way from Noida, was not sure about the date of ceremony. "I read in newspapers that it will be tomorrow. But now they are saying that it will take place on Saturday. I hope to come again," he said.

President Pranab Mukherjee today gave approval for the formation of a minority AAP government with the backing of Congress and the Chief Minister-designate Kejriwal may be asked to prove majority by January 3.

The Ramlila Maidan had also witnessed the Anna Hazare movement, with former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, former police officer Kiran Bedi and Kejriwal as Anna's aides.

New Delhi, December 25
The prompt action of the west district police of Delhi resulted in the recovery of six minor children within 12 hours after a missing report was lodged in the Uttam Nagar police station.

The children were recovered from near a gurdwara in Tilak Nagar and handed over to their parents, said DCP (West) Ranvir Singh.

According to the DCP, police received a complaint of missing children at 11 am yesterday. Four cases of kidnapping were registered on the basis of complaints. Children's photographs were obtained and information was disseminated to the missing person squad. The police were also alerted at railway stations, ISBTs and other places. Their photographs were displayed at market places and wireless messages were also flashed.

However, it so happened that one of the minors was spotted by the vigilant cops near a gurdwara in Tilak Nagar. The police identified him on the basis of the photographs.

Later, his friends were also located in a nearby area and handed over to their parents. They will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee as per the procedure.

The investigations revealed that all of them belong to middle class families living in Uttam Nagar. All the children used to play together and had left their houses to see malls, cinema halls and India Gate.

It was also revealed that they had taken food at a gurdwara and passed the night in a park in severe cold. They did not go home out of fear of their parents.

The police team members will be suitably rewarded for their dedication and hard work in tracing the children, the DCP said.

New Delhi, December 25
The festive spirit gripped the national Capital on Wednesday on the occasion of Christmas as people flocked to churches to light candles and pray for peace and harmony.

Men, women and children thronged the decked-up churches for prayers with midnight mass, resonance of carols and merriment ushering in Christmas in the city.

The decorated cathedrals saw people irrespective of faith and religion--bundled in woollens and wearing bright smiles--light candles and greet each other 'Merry Christmas'.

The merriment started from midnight as bells tolled and worshippers thronged churches and cathedrals decorated with twinkling lights for the midnight service as priests dished out Christmas messages.

People, attired in their best, bonded in prayer and mirth as sparkling Christmas Trees and colourful gift items adorned market places that wore a festive look.

Non-Christians were also seen celebrating the festival as long queues were observed in bakeries to buy cakes and cookies. People used WhatsApp, Facebook and other modern means of communication to send Christmas greetings to their families and loved ones.

Shops and malls stocking Christmas merchandise were inundated with shoppers as exchange of greetings and gifts, community feasts and colourful processions marked the occasion.

A large number of revellers also reached prominent shopping centres like Connaught Place and tourist spots like India Gate to enjoy the festivities.

Traditional Christmas carols rendered the air festive as gospel bands enthralling the merrymakers with songs like 'Jingle Bells', 'Oh Holy Night' and 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town'.

It was a busy day for Santa Claus with several children flocking to the rotund man in red with a white flowing beard for gifts and sweets. Sumptuous feasts, including delicacies like cakes, formed an important part of the celebrations in many homes.

"I believe this is a festival for everyone. You can see people from all faiths present here in the church. It's a cultural and religious amalgamation," said 23-year-old Thomas Phillips at Sacred Heart Cathedral near Connaught Place in central Delhi.

New Delhi, December 25
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested one Surinder Singh of district Barnala in Punjab on alleged charges of indulging in the Internet fraud and cheated people on the pretext of providing a Canadian visa for Rs 4.5 lakh.

The accused was engaged in cheating by advertising through www.olx.in.

He had allegedly cheated a Tamilnadu-based engineer. During raid, the police recovered four passports, one laptop and five mobile phones from his possession along with fake visa and job offer letter in Toronto, Canada.

The racket came to light when the Crime Branch received a complaint made by Shameer Jan, a hardware networking service engineer.

The complainant said that he was in search of a job abroad and has been cheated out of Rs 62,000 on different occasions by one Surinder Singh who uploaded an advertisement at www.olx.com in the name of "Job in Canada".

The complainant also reported that the accused lured him by conveying that he has been shortlisted for a job in Hilton Garden Inn in Toronto at a salary of 2000 Canadian dollars per month and provided him with a scanned copy of a fake job offer letter embossed with the visa of Canada.

When the complainant got it verified from Canadian Embassy in New Delhi, it was found to be fake.

Thereafter the complainant narrated this story to the Crime Branch and a case of forgery and cheating was registered. The accused was arrested from near Hyatt Regency Hotel.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to his involvement in the crime disclosing that he has a fake company "Hams Enterprise" on www.olx.in.

Surinder Singh started pulling a fast one on people on the pretext of providing a Canadian visa, according to the police.

New Delhi, December 25
People in Delhi can walk through a 1.2-km-long service tunnel under the middle circle of Connaught Place, probably the first of its kind in India, said Jalaj Shrivastava, chairperson, NDMC.

It was during the redevelopment of Connaught Place that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) set up the service tunnel.

Executed through the project consultant EIL, it houses services like electric and communication cables, water supply and irrigation lines, firefighting services, electric substations etc.

Shrivastava said that as part of its centenary celebrations, the NDMC will allow the entry of the general public to visit the tunnel corridor.

The entry, from Janpath, will be regulated. People will be allowed in batches to see the tunnel under the guidance of the trained officials.

The entry will be free of charge, starting from 11.30 am to 4.30 pm on December 26 to January 4, 2014, Shrivastava said.

New Delhi, December 25
The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, which promotes information and communications technology for education and training, has announced a competition titled 'Community Radio Video Challenge' for media students in India.

"This competition will aim at promoting understanding and importance of community radio as an alternative medium. Students are expected to produce a video through mobile phone, camcorder or video camera on the 'Why Community Radio Matters'," the centre said.

"The duration of the video can be up to a maximum of three minutes. The last date of online submission is December 30. It can be in any language. There are about 18 cash prizes," added the centre, which was established by the Vancouver-based Commonwealth of Learning.

The video challenge is the first of its kind joint initiative of the centre, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi.

The centre has been promoting community radio in Commonwealth countries of Asia, more particularly in India and Bangladesh, for the past seven years.

It played a crucial role in facilitating and setting up of several such stations that are currently in operation in India.

In 2012-13, the centre developed a community continuous improvement toolkit in association with the UNESCO Chair on Community Media at the University of Hyderabad. This toolkit is being tested in India and Bangladesh.

Established by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in Canada in 1994, the centre, headed by Sanjaya Mishra, also receives diplomatic privileges and immunities in India under Section 3 of the United Nations (privileges and immunities) Act, 1947.

New Delhi, December 25
After a chilly morning, the national Capital saw moderate weather on Christmas Day today with the maximum temperature recorded two notches above the season's average at 20 degree Celsius. Similar weather is expected on Thursday.

"Friday will see a clear sky in the afternoon though the morning will be foggy. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 21 degree and 7 degree Celsius," said an official of the India Meteorological Department.

Wednesday's minimum temperature was recorded at 7.5 degree Celsius, a notch below the season's average, while fog in the morning affected trains. "Due to the fog in the morning, 12 trains were rescheduled and six trains cancelled," said a Northern Railway spokesman A.S. Negi.

However, flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport were not affected because of the weather, said an airport spokesman Kapil Sabarwal.

Tuesday's maximum temperature settled two notches below the season's average at 19.7 degree Celsius, while the minimum was a notch above the season's average at 8.5 degree Celsius..