Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka from June 8 to 9, in reflection of continued priority for the neighbourhood in his second term, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

Modi will first travel to Maldives, in his first bilateral visit after retaining power in the Lok Sabha polls.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said Modi is visiting Sri Lanka on June 9 with a very clear message of solidarity in the wake of the Easter bombings.

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) National Security Advisor Ajit Doval chaired a high-level meeting Thursday to discuss issues concerning Kashmir, including the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra and pending Assembly election, officials said.

The meeting was attended by Vijay Kumar, Advisor to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor, State Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Director General of CRPF R R Bhatnagar and Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, they said.

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) A Chinese delegation, led by a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and comprising officials of the Chinese Embassy here, met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday and held discussions on the ties between India and China.

The delegation called on the two Congress leaders at Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence here. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma was also present on the occasion.

Srinagar, June 7: Four Kashmiri have been killed in an alleged ‘encounter’ with Indian security forces on Friday in Pulwama district of Indian administered Kashmir, police said.

The Indian security forces' spokesman alleged that a cordon and search operation in Panjran area of Pulwama, following information about presence of Kashmiris separatists there.

Lucknow, Jun 7 (PTI) At least 19 persons were killed and 48 injured due to dust storm and lightning in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, the state Relief commissioner said on Friday.

"While six persons died in Mainpuri, three persons each died in Etah and Kasganj and one each in one each in Moradabad, Badaun, Pilibhit, Mathura, Kannauj, Sambhal and Ghaziabad in incidents related to dust storm and lightning," official data released by the UP Relief commissioner said.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have managed to retake the volatile district of Khawja Omari from Taliban militants in eastern Ghazni province, a local source said Friday.

"After one year, the Afghan brave security forces could completely recapture Khawja Omari district following a counter-terrorist offensive at about 9:00 a.m. Friday morning," the provincial government said in a statement.

Government forces withdrew from the district following a wide offensive from insurgents loyal to the Taliban group, one year ago, the statement said.

New Delhi , June 5; GANASHAKTI: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which has been in the forefront of a campaign for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya, has convened a meeting of its top leaders later this month to discuss the issue, amid its assertion that the work on the project will start within one-and-a-half years.

Alok Kumar, the Working President of the VHP, made it clear that his organisation will not wait "indefinitely" on Ram temple construction and has decided to "remind" the Narendra Modi government about its promise within the first month of its second term.

Islamabad, Jun 5; PTI/GANASHAKTI: In an unprecedented voluntary move, Pakistan's military has decided to cut the defence budget for the next fiscal year amid an austerity drive launched by the government to solve the cash-strapped nation's economic woes.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) -- the media wing of the military, in his Twitter message on Tuesday said that voluntary cuts in the defence budget for next fiscal year would not be at the cost of defence and security.

Banda (Uttar Pradesh), June 5; GANASHAKTI: Wells and hand-pumps have dried up, ponds have disappeared, the water table has receded and Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh is now fighting for water.

The few water sources that remain are becoming the proverbial bone of contention among the people and water riots are being reported from the rural interiors of Bundelkhand.

The state government, however, denied that there is any law and order problem due to water shortage in this region.

Srinagar, Jun 5 : Clashes between protestors and security forces were reported after Eid prayers in some parts of Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.

There were no reports of anyone getting hurt in these clashes, they said.

The festival of Eid was celebrated with much fanfare across the state with people thronging mosques, shrines and Eidgahs to offer prayers on the culmination of the holy moth of Ramzan.