BUCHAREST, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The European People's Party (EPP) will fight for the same living standard all over Europe, said Manfred Weber, EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Commission(EC), here on Saturday.

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. A new multifunctional laboratory module Nauka (Science), which is expected to be launched to the International Space Station in 2020, will be transported from Moscow’s Khrunichev space research center to the RSC Energia for pre-flight tests in August, Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, wrote on his official Twitter account on Saturday.

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS on Sunday he is due to hold a meeting with US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams on March 19 in Rome.

"The talks will take place on March 19. This is a scheduled contact, this is not a spontaneous meeting," the high-ranking diplomat said.

XI'AN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Xi'an, a historical city in Shaanxi Province, will place traffic restrictions on the use of vehicle on weekdays.

The popular tourist city said the restriction would be imposed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting March 18. Vehicles are restricted in one out of five weekdays based upon the last numbers of their license plates in certain areas in the city, where the number of motor vehicles hit 3 million as of May 2018.

March 17, 2019; AP: Surgery for certain bad heart valves may soon become a thing of the past. New studies suggest it’s OK and often better to have a new valve placed through a tube into an artery instead.

The results are expected to quickly transform treatment of a problem that affects millions of people — a stiff or narrowed aortic valve that doesn’t let blood pass as it should. Until recently, fixing severe cases required a major operation using a heart-lung machine while surgeons cut out the old valve and sewed in a new one.

Christchurch, Mar 16; PTI/GANASHAKTI : The Bangladesh cricket team Saturday left New Zealand, hours after escaping death by a whisker in the deadliest terror attack in the country's history.

Leaving behind Friday's scary experience in Christchurch, the Bangladesh cricketers were relieved to be boarding the flight back home.

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday said the terrorist attack in New Zealand is a warning to the world that hatred is never benign.

She said on Twitter that her heart went out to the victims and their families.

She said may the love and support from millions, who are repelled by this crime, sustain the families and give them courage.

"The horrific terrorist act in New Zealand should be a warning to the whole world: hatred is NEVER benign," Priyanka tweeted.

Srinagar; 17 March 2019: Former IAS officer Shah Faesal has launched his political party the 'Jammu and Kashmir Peoples' Movement,' today.

Former Vice-President of the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU), Shehla Rashid, also joined Faesal’s party.

According to The Hindu, scores of supporters from different parts of the Valley attended the launch of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM), whose slogan is “Hawa Badlegi” (winds of time will change).

Ranchi, Mar 16 (PTI) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Saturday said that the grand alliance in the state has been officially sealed for the Lok Sabha polls.

The JMM, along with the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Left Front and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) comprise the grand alliance in the eastern Indian state.

16 Mar 2019; DW: Tropical Cyclone Idai has left at least 31 people dead in eastern Zimbabwe, the government said on Saturday, continuing a trail of destruction across southeast Africa.

Since the start of the week, heavy rains and the powerful storm already killed 87 people in neighboring Mozambique and Malawi.

Bathinda, Mar 16 (PTI) A local court here has sentenced a former Indian Air Force sergeant to death for the murder of a 27-year old corporal in February 2017.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanwaljeet Singh Bajwa sentenced Sailesh Kumar to death for the murder of Vipin Shukla of Uttar Pradesh when both were posted at Bhisiana Air Force Station. The verdict was pronounced on Friday, officials said.

The court also sentenced Kumar's wife to five years rigorous imprisonment for destruction of evidence.

Thane, Mar 16 (PTI) A court in Maharashtra's Thane district Saturday disqualified BJP corporator and former mayor Ashok Raul.

Shiv Sena candidate Mandar Vichare, who had lost to Raul in the last Thane civic elections held in February 2017, had filed a petition against the latter's victory.