Indian Sub-continent

KARACHI, Jul 22 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan’s current visit to the United States of America (USA) was to protect the interests of Pakistan and not to procure any aid for the country, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said here on Monday.

The prime minister is taking the country to new heights on international level with main focus to project its contribution to the cause of peace in the region and its impact on the entire globe, she said speaking at Karachi Press Club.

22 July 2019; AFP: India on Monday launched a low-cost rocket on a historic bid to put a landing craft on the surface of the Moon and join an elite space force.

A week after an initial launch was halted just before blast-off, Chandrayaan-2 -- or Moon Chariot 2 -- took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre carrying national pride and the hopes of Indian scientists.

Sriharikota(AP), Jul 22 (PTI) India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 aimed at landing a rover on unchartered Lunar South Pole was launched Monday with the country's most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle successfully injecting the spacecraft in the Earth orbit after lift-off from the spacesport here Monday.

Ranchi, July 21; IANS/GANASHAKTI: In another case of mob lynching, four persons were thrashed and killed in the Gumla district of Jharkhand on Sunday.

According to police, 10-12 people attacked a family in the Siskari village in the wee hours of Sunday. The attackers dragged the victims out of a house, thrashed them and later slit their throats. The victims have been identified as 60-year-old Chapa Oraon, his wife and two others.

"It seems the attackers believed the victims were practicing witchcraft", said Anajani Kumar Jha, Gumla Superintendent of Police.

New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) A plea was Monday filed in the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Centre to frame a policy to equally propagate the national anthem and the national song -- 'Vande Mataram'.

The plea, filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, has sought that 'Vande Mataram', written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, be given the same respect as the national anthem -- 'Jana Gana Mana', penned by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Mumbai, Jul 21 (PTI) The ruling BJP on Sunday set a target of winning more than 220 out of the total 288 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly polls due later this year.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar moved a political resolution to this effect at the party's state executive meeting here.

Mungantiwar said the BJP along with its allies will win more than 220 seats in the forthcoming state polls.

Thanjavur (TN), Jul 21 (PTI) A 24-year-old man, who was allegedly attacked by a group of people here for posting a picture of himself consuming beef soup, was arrested Sunday on charge of disturbing peace, soon after he was discharged from a hospital, according to police.

Earlier four people were arrested for allegedly attacking him.

The people had gone to Mohammed Faisan's house in Poravacheri village on July 11 and objected to the post, police had said, adding after a quarrel, they attacked him.

Barmer, Jul 21 (PTI) A teenaged girl disturbed with her molestation by a man allegedly committed suicide Sunday by jumping into a pond in Barmer district, said police.

The 19-year old girl was allegedly molested and threatened by her neighbour Narpat Singh some time ago, they said.

The police had already registered a case against accused Singh on July 17, they added.

Following the suicide by girl, the police added relevant section for the offence of abetment of suicide in the case and arrested the accused.

Sehore, Jul 21 (PTI) BJP MP from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur Sunday kicked up a controversy saying she has not become a lawmaker to clean drains or toilets, a statement the Congress said has "exposed" the "hollowness" of the BJP's flagship 'Swachh Bharat' campaign.

Addressing a meeting of BJP workers here in Madhya Pradesh, Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case who is currently out on bail, said the job of an MP is to work with MLAs, corporators and public representatives to ensure development.

Lucknow, Jul 21 (PTI) As many as 32 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh due to lightening on Sunday, said officials.

A day earlier, the lightening had claimed one life in the state, while two others had died of snake bites on July 18 and 20 respectively, the statement said.

Thirteen 13 others were injured due to lightening, the statement added.