Indian Sub-continent

ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday warned the international community of the high risk of India’s attempt to create a “false flag operation” to divert attention from its massive human rights violations.

“The Indian leadership will, in all probability, attempt a false flag operation to divert attention from its massive human rights violations & the unleashing of a reign of terror in IOJK,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi Friday said that India was playing with fire in the Indian Occupied Kashmir by changing the status of the territory and suppressing the people’s will.

“If India feels that this is going to improve situation with these laws, they are living in fool’s paradise… It is playing with fire and it would burn at least the secularity of India,” the president remarked in an interview with Vice News, a Canadian-American media outlet.

SEOUL, Aug 23 (NNN-YONHAP) — North Korea said Friday it would be a “miscalculation” if the United States tries to confront Pyongyang with sanctions, urging it to drop its hostile stance.

In a statement, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho also warned that Pyongyang will remain “the biggest threat” to Washington for a long time should the U.S. stick to a hostile stance.

Srinagar, Aug 23; GANASHAKTI: Restrictions were imposed in Srinagar city on Friday after posters issued by the separatists called on people to march to the local United Nations military observer group office, officials said.

Restrictions were eased in most areas of Kashmir this week, with barricades being lifted and the movement of people and traffic increasing gradually, but markets remained shut and mobile and Internet services suspended for the 18th day on Thursday.

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine the validity of a newly enacted law which makes the practice of instant divorce through triple talaq among Muslims a punishable offence entailing imprisonment of up to three years.

A bench of justices N V Ramana and Ajay Rastogi issued notice to the Centre on a batch of petitions which has sought to declare The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act 2019 as "unconstitutional" on grounds that it allegedly violates the provisions of the Constitution.

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to pass orders within two weeks on extension of tenure of the special judge conducting trial in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case, involving BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti, in Lucknow.

A bench of justices R F Nariman and Surya Kant said a fresh letter has been written by the special judge on July 27 in which he had made five requests including providing him security.

Islamabad, Aug 23 (PTI) Pakistan on Friday said that despite tensions with India, it stands ready to open the Kartarpur Corridor and welcome the Sikh pilgrims to take part in celebrations in connection with the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said this while speaking to a delegation of civil society and parliamentarians of Afghanistan, which is currently visiting Pakistan for the 'Track-II dialogue, Beyond Boundaries'.

Kolkata, Aug 22 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday termed as "very depressing" the way Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram was arrested and alleged that the judiciary was not coming to the help of a "crying" democratic system.

In her first reaction after Chidambaram's arrest by CBI in INX media case on Wednesday evening, Banerjee quoted Rabindranath Tagore and said the "message of justice is crying silently in isolation".

Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) The Indian rupee on Thursday plunged to an over eight-month low of 71.81, dropping 26 paise against the US dollar as tumbling equities and incessant foreign fund outflows weighed on sentiment.

Also, the sudden drop in Chinese yuan led to increased volatility in emerging market currencies, including the rupee, forex dealers said.

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) A petition was filed in the Supreme Court Thursday challenging the newly enacted law which makes the practice of instant divorce through 'triple talaq' among Muslims a punishable offence entailing imprisonment of up to three years.

The fresh plea has been filed by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, a Muslim body, which sought to declare The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 as "unconstitutional" on the ground that it allegedly violates the provisions of the Constitution.