CARACAS, March 24. /TASS/. More than $30 billion disappeared from Venezuela’s foreign accounts in the past two months, Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information Jorge Rodgriguez told reporters in Caracas.

"In the past two months, over $30 billion were stolen," he was quoted as saying by Venezuela’s state TV.

The official accused Washington of ordering to seize Venezuela’s assets.

"Assets, which Venezuela has in various banks, are being withdrawn. This is carried out under direct orders from the [US President Donald Trump’s] administration," he said.

Gorakhpur (UP), Mar 23 (PTI) An official was booked under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCAA) on Saturday after two cows allegedly died due to hunger in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district.

On Thursday, residents found carcasses of the animals from a shelter house in Bansgaon Nagar Panchayat after foul smell started emanating from the unit. The nagar panchayat is responsible for the upkeep of stray animals at the shelter house, officials said.

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Vice Admiral Karambir Singh was appointed as the next chief of naval staff, succeeding Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30, the defence Ministry said Saturday.

Vice Admiral Singh, who is at present serving as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, will be the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff. He will take charge as Navy Chief on May 31, the defence ministry said.

Kanpur: City is not wholly safe from the disease of tuberculosis. This manifests from the number of patients increasing day by day. According to the DOTS centres, the number has reached to 8500. Besides, the TB patients admitted  at the private nursing homes touch the figure of 3500. There were as many as 423 Multi-drug-resistant TB and 30 Extensively drug-resistant infected patients. 

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday appointed Union minister Uma Bharti, who has decided not to contest the Lok Sabha polls, its national vice-president.

Bharti, who represents Jhansi in the Lok Sabha, was brought in as a senior office bearer after she conveyed to the BJP leadership her wish to not contest the coming general elections.

The Hindutva leader has said she wants to go on a 18-month-long pilgrimage from May.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Mar 24 (PTI) The half-burnt body of a 23-year-old woman, who had been missing for two days, was found in Sohjani Umerpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said Sunday.

The body was found dumped in a husk storage shed on Saturday, they said.

Thanabhawan SHO Sandeep Balyan said the body was sent for post-mortem.

He said some suspects have been taken into police custody for interrogation and the investigation is on.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Mar 24 (PTI) A 16-year-old girl, who had gone out to relieve herself, was allegedly raped at gunpoint in Bhabisa village in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said Sunday.

The incident took place Saturday, they said.

23 Mar 2019; DW: Muslim worshippers returned to two mosques in Christchurch on Saturday for the first time since a terrorist attack there that left 50 people dead.

Hundreds of people, including a Jordanian prince, survivors and relatives of the victims, visited the Al Noor mosque to lay flowers or pray as armed police stood guard.

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday urged all concerned parties to settle the territorial dispute concerning the Golan Heights in accordance with relevant agreements of the United Nations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing responding to relevant reports.

23 Mar 2019; DW: A 46-year-old woman and 59-year-old man went on trial in the German city of Darmstadt on Friday on murder and arson charges.

The two parents are accused of killing their 10- and 13-year-old children in their house in the town of Mörlenbach last August, shortly before they were due to be evicted.

23 Mar 2019; DW: US President Donald Trump halted sizable sanctions against North Korea because he "likes Chairman Kim" and considers the measures unnecessary, the White House said. But it was unclear which sanctions Trump had in mind.

A tweet by US President Donald Trump left journalists scratching their heads on Friday, when Trump said he had nixed "additional large scale sanctions" against North Korea.

22 Mar 2019; DW: A United Nations report found Israel's shooting of demonstrators could amount to crimes against humanity. The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Israeli accountability, but the European vote was divided.

The United Nations will step up the presence of monitors in Gaza after its human rights body said Israel's shootings of Palestinians could be deemed crimes against humanity.