Indian Sub-continent

Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) A day after President's Rule came into force in Maharashtra, the ministries have been ordered to hand over possessions to the General Administrative Department (GAD) by Wednesday evening.

The GAD order is applicable to all ministries, OSDs (Officers on Special Duty) working for ministers, personal secretaries and personal assistants.

They are directed to submit telephone bills and return identity cards issued to them to the GAD, the order stated.

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) The Jawaharlal Nehru University on Wednesday decided to partially rollback the hike in hostel fees following protests by students for 16 days.

The decision was taken in varsity's Executive Council (EC) meeting which had to be shifted outside the campus at the last moment fearing agitation by students.

"JNU Executive Committee announces major rollback in the hostel fee and other stipulations. Also proposes a scheme for economic assistance to the EWS students. Time to get back to classes," HRD Secretary R Subrmanyam tweeted.

ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said the dream of peace and security in the world could not be realized until the countries looked beyond the lens of vested interests and resolved mutual conflicts on the principles of humanity.

“The world is letting the people of Kashmir suffer the humanitarian crisis while it protects its vested economic interests,” the President said at an annual Margalla Dialogue held here on ‘Peace and development in South Asia, Middle East and Central Asia (SAMECA)’.

KABUL (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and 10 others, including four foreign nationals, were wounded in Kabul on Wednesday, when a van packed with explosive targeted a vehicle belonging to a foreign security company, Afghan security officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility in the rush-hour attack, that comes a day after the Afghan government agreed on a prisoner exchange with the Taliban insurgents in the hopes of reviving peace talks.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Yousuf fled with his family from his home in eastern Afghanistan eight years ago to escape the war, but he couldn’t escape tragedy. In the capital, Kabul, five of his children died, not from violence or bombings, but from air pollution, worsened by bitter cold and poverty.

Srinagar, Nov 12: A Kashmiri separatist was killed and an Army soldier injured in an alleged encounter between with Indian security forces and Kashmiri separatists in Ganderbal district of Indian administered Kashmir, an Indian official said.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 (PTI): Over 10,000 police personnel will be posted in phases in and around Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple for security during the two-month long pilgrimage season starting November 17.

During the Mandala Makkarvillakku festival, 10,017 police personnel will be posted around the temple complex in five phases, a police press release said.

DGP Loknath Behara said there will be stringent security in and around Sabarimala during the pilgrimage season this year.

Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) The Shiv Sena on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's refusal to grant more time to the party to submit the required letters of support to form the next government on Monday night, a party leader said on Tuesday.

The Sena, which is trying to form a possible coalition government with the support of the NCP and the Congress, had failed to secure the requisite letters from both the parties.

ISLAMABAD, Nov 12 (APP): Curfew,military lockdown and restrictions continue on 100th consecutive day Tuesday in Indian occupied Kashmir and Muslim majority areas of Jammu and Ladakh following the August 5 Indian illegal decision to abrogate special status of the Kashmir.

According to Kashmir Media Service, restrictions under Section 144 and ban on prepaid phone, SMS and internet services remain enforced.

12 November 2019; AFP: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced Tuesday that three high-ranking Taliban prisoners would be released, in an apparent exchange for two Western hostages who were kidnapped by the insurgents in 2016.

The three Taliban prisoners include Anas Haqqani, who was seized in 2014 and whose older brother is the deputy Taliban leader and head of the Haqqani network, a notorious Taliban affiliate.