Indian Sub-continent

Pune, Aug 19 (PTI) There was a need to reach out to Kashmiris and bridge the communication gap through "political" measures, Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd) said, adding that scrapping the provisions of Article 370 had changed the status quo in restive Jammu and Kashmir.

There is a fear among Kashmiris about the future, and conditions there were have been deteriorating since 2013 due to upsurge in violence, interference from Pakistan and cease- fire violations, he claimed.

Jammu, Aug 19 (PTI) A 40-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly spreading rumours that created panic among people here, a senior police officer said.

Yashbir Singh alias "Badshah" alias "Don", a resident of Khour, was arrested on the basis of investigation into the widespread rumours in the city on Sunday which led to "panic buying and heavy rush outside fuel stations", Senior Superintendent of Police of Jammu Tejinder Singh told reporters here.

New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Taking a swipe at the BJP government, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said either Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his dispensation no longer respect RSS's views that all issues should be resolved through "cordial dialogue" or they do not believe there is an "issue" in Jammu and Kashmir.

She cited an RSS tweet mentioning that all issues in society should be resolved through cordial dialogue to attack the government over its actions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lucknow, Aug 19 (PTI) Petrol and diesel prices in Uttar Pradesh will go up by Rs 2.5 and Re 1 respectively from Monday midnight as the government increased VAT.

The Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol has been increased to 26.80 per cent or Rs 16.74 per litre (whichever is higher) and on diesel 17.48 per cent or Rs 9.41 per litre (whichever is higher), according to an official order.

The order will come into effect from Monday midnight.

Mumbai, Aug 20 (PTI) The rupee opened on a weak note and fell 23 paise to 71.66 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday amid rising crude oil prices and unabated foreign fund outflows.

On Monday, the rupee had tumbled 29 paise to close at an over six-month low of 71.43 against the US dollar amid growing worries over economic slump.

Bengaluru, Aug 20 (PTI) In a major milestone for India's Moon mission, the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft successfully entered the lunar orbit on Tuesday.

Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) maneuver was completed successfully at 0902 hours as planned, using the onboard propulsion system, the Bengaluru headquartered space agency said in a statement.

"The duration of maneuver was 1,738 seconds. With this, Chandrayaan-2 was successfully inserted into a Lunar orbit," ISRO said.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 20 (APP): Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Tuesday welcomed reconciliatory role of United States President Donald Trump on Kashmir situation and the regional peace.

In a series of tweets, the SAPM said the nation was proud of the fact that Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly contested the case of Kashmir at international level.

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Security forces detained 30 people overnight in Indian Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar, local officials said on Tuesday, seeking to keep a tight lid on protests over the federal government’s decision to strip the region of its autonomy.

Crowds have demonstrated frequently in the city despite a severe clampdown on phone and internet services, a ban on public gatherings and detentions of hundreds of political leaders and separatists who have long campaigned for secession from India.

KABUL (Reuters) - The number of people wounded in multiple bomb blasts in the Afghan city of Jalalabad has risen to 123, officials said on Tuesday, a day after 14 bombs exploded in public squares, markets and outside restaurants in the eastern city.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but both Islamic State (IS) and the Taliban militants operate in the area, which borders Pakistan.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban fighters arrived with hammers and hatred. What they left behind is laid out on tables at the National Museum of Afghanistan, 18 years later: shattered pieces of ancient Buddha figurines, smashed because they were judged to be against Islam.