Indian Sub-continent

ANKARA; 23 Feb 2019; AA: Amid tensions between nuclear armed neighbors India and Pakistan, a Pakistani parliamentarian traveled to India for a spiritual event on Saturday, opening a rare diplomatic opportunity for Islamabad.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who represents ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Pakistan National Assembly (MNA) said India would be the main benefactor if Delhi and Islamabad were to "join hands and walk together."

22 Feb 2019; DW: The death toll from the liquor poisoning in India's northeastern Assam state has risen to at least 89, with some reports putting the number even higher.

The owner of a local brewery and 10 more people connected to the manufacture and distribution of the liquor had been detained, local police confirmed Saturday.

At least 200 people were hospitalized after they consumed toxic alcohol on Thursday evening. Officials said that 22 people had already died by Friday evening.

Bhopal, Feb 22 (PTI) The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh Friday rolled out its flagship 'Mukhyamantri Yuva Swabhiman Yojana' that guarantees 100 days of employment every year to urban youths from economically weaker sections (EWS).

The scheme, as part of which youths would be imparted skill development training, was launched by Chief Minister Kamal Nath here.

Malappuram (Ker), Feb 22 (PTI) Two college students were arrested here on sedition charges for allegedly putting up "anti-national" posters seeking independence for Kashmir and Manipur, police said Friday.

The duo-Mohammed Rinshad (20) and Mohammed Farris (19), pursuing graduation at the Government College Malappuram, were arrested following the complaint of the principal, they said.

Srinagar, Feb 22 2018: Two Kasmiri separatists were killed by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Friday, J&K police said.

Indian security forces claim to have launched a cordon and search operation in Warpora area of Sopore, in north Kashmir, acting on specific information about the presence of Kasmiri separatists

As reported by PTI, police claimed that two Kasmiri separatists were killed in the gun battle.

The identity of the killed separatists is yet to be ascertained.

Aligarh/Lucknow (UP), Feb 22 (PTI) The police have dropped sedition charges slapped against 14 Aligarh Muslim University after the recent protests on the campus, even as SP leader Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP government of having used the legal provision as a weapon .

The students were booked for sedition after Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) district president Mukesh Lodhi alleged he was assaulted by some students who chanted pro-Pakistan slogans, police said.

New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) The CBI has issued a notice barring foreign travel of former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and MD of the Videocon Group Venugopal Dhoot, accused in a corruption case, officials said here Friday.

The move to issue a look out notice was taken nearly a week after a case was registered against Chanda Kochhar, Deepak and Dhoot to ensure that none of these people, alleged to be involved in corruption in clearing loans worth Rs 1,875 crore to the Videocon Group, were able to leave the country, the officials said.

Mumbai, Feb 22 (PTI) The Congress said Friday that there was no place for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the proposed alliance of opposition parties for Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.

This has been conveyed to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said state Congress chief Ashok Chavan.

Patna, Feb 22 (PTI) Top NDA leaders here Friday flagged off a Rath Yatra to galvanize public support from every nook and corner of Bihar for the ruling coalitions rally next week where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to share the stage with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

Pune, Feb 22 (PTI) In yet another incident of assault on Kashmiris after the Pulwama terror attack, a 24-year-old journalist from Jammu and Kashmir was beaten up here.

The local police, who earlier dubbed it as an incident of road rage, registered a case against the two suspected assailants Friday evening and arrested one of them.