Indian Sub-continent

Haridwar/Saharanpur, Feb 9 (PTI): The death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy that hit two adjoining districts has risen to 70 with more people dying of the hooch they drank at a Haridwar village, officials said Saturday.

Twenty-four of the victims died in Balupur and its neighbouring villages in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district, an official said.

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed in avalanches and landslides that hit Indian-controlled Kashmir following heavy snowfall and rains, officials said Friday.

The avalanches struck at Kokernag in Anantnag district and Jawahar tunnel in Kulgam district, while landslides were triggered in Ramban district.

All these districts lie south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

KANPUR: 55% female students are going to appear at the annual examinations of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University (CSJMU) beginning from February 26, this year. Like Lucknow University annual examinations which have been advanced by a week and also will be held on Sundays to ensure that they are over before the general polls, Kanpur University has also declared its scheme for the examinations.

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A five-day naval exercise kicked off in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday with an aim to bridge gaps and operate together in pursuance of shared objectives, local media reported.

Senior navy officials, ambassadors and delegates of various countries attended the inauguration ceremony of the AMAN-19 maritime exercise in which 45 countries are taking part with ships and observers, Radio Pakistan said.

Islamabad, Feb 8 (PTI) Underlining that Pakistan government and the Army are enjoying a period of "unprecedented coordination", a senior minister has ruled out any cut in the country's defence budget and said it could instead increase for the national security.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry in a press conference after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday said the country's defence budget is already low as compared to other countries in the region, and therefore it should be increased.

Tehran, Feb 8 (AFP) Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that Europe "cannot be trusted", a week after the EU launched a trade mechanism to bypass US sanctions on Tehran.

"These days there's talk of the Europeans and their proposals. My advice is that they shouldn't be trusted, just like the Americans," he said at a meeting with air force officials, his website reported.

Kishanganj (Bihar), Feb 7 (PTI) A 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped by six men in front of her father at a village in Bihar's Kishanganj district, police said on Thursday.

Superintendent of Police Kumar Ashish said the incident occurred in the Kodhiwadi police station area.

Raipur, Feb 7 (PTI) Ten Naxals were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh Thursday, police said.

The face-off took place in forests under Bhairamgarh police station area of Bijapur district when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, state Director General of Police D M Awasthi told reporters here.

Imphal, Feb 7 (PTI) A mass protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was held on the roads of Manipur for the second day Thursday and security forces burst tear gas shells at a place near here to disperse protestors, officials said.

However, no one was injured in the incident.

New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Robert Vadra's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate, alleging he was "blinded by revenge" and taking out his anger fearing an "imminent defeat" in the coming Lok Sabha election.

Vadra, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was questioned by ED for nine hours on Thursday, the second day of his deposition in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad.