Nagercoil (TN), Mar 13; GANASHAKTI: Launching a frontal attack on the AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Wednesday alleged the state government was controlled by the Prime Minister's Office, something that has never happened before.

In his first public rally to launch the UPA poll campaign in the southern state, Gandhi said "today, the government in Tamil Nadu is controlled by the Prime Minister's Office."

The accusation has been often repeated by the DMK to target the ruling AIADMK.

Muzaffarnagar, Mar 13 (PTI) A man, who witnessed the killing of his two brothers during the Muzaffarnagar riots, was shot dead at Khatoli here, police said Wednesday.

The communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and its adjoining areas in August and September 2013 had claimed more than 60 lives while over 40,000 people were displaced.

14 Mar 2019; DW: French authorities are rushing to stop an oil spill from reaching the country's west coast after an Italian-registered cargo ship sank in the Bay of Biscay.

Although the government's initial statement only said there had been "dangerous materials" on board the ill-fated Grande America, local officials told French news agency Agence France-Presse that the vessel was leaking oil.

UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Relief efforts are underway in southern Africa after recent rains caused at least 60 deaths and affected nearly 843,000 people in Mozambique and Malawi, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Our humanitarian colleagues report that flooding in Malawi and Mozambique has affected nearly 843,000 people and caused at least 60 deaths, according to preliminary reports from the respective governments," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Lucknow, Mar 13 (PTI) In a clear snub to BSP supremo Mayawati who slammed the door on the Congress for any electoral alliance, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday paid a visit to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad in a hospital in Meerut.

The unscheduled visit is being seen in political circles as an attempt to woo the Dalits in Uttar Pradesh and pit Azad against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Welington, Mar 14 (AFP) A senior New Zealand government minister was assaulted in an early-morning street attack Thursday that left him with a black eye and shook up Wellington's normally laid-back political atmosphere.

Green Party co-leader James Shaw was walking to the parliament building known as the Beehive when a man punched him in the face in what his office described as an unprovoked attack.

Mandla (MP), Mar 13 (PTI) BJP MP Sampatiya Uike's 21-year-old son and two others have been arrested here for allegedly possessing smack, police said on Wednesday.

Raja Uike, son of the Rajya Sabha member, was arrested along with Abhishek Lakda (22) and Shahrukh Khan (26) on Tuesday night at Devdara locality in the city, he added.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Global port operator DP World says its profit rose 10 percent in 2018 despite worldwide tensions over trade amid a trade war between China and the U.S. and fears about Britain leaving the European Union.

The port operator on Thursday reported profits of around $1.29 billion, up from around $1.17 billion the year before.

Its revenue for the year was $5.6 billion, up from $4.7 billion the year prior. That’s a revenue increase of 19.8 percent for the port operator.

14 Mar 2019; DW: A delegation from Ethiopia flew to Paris on Thursday to deliver the black boxes from the recently crashed Boeing 737 MAX.

Ethiopian Airlines said on Twitter the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were to be examined.

France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA) announced the boxes had arrived and that it would be investigating them. The office did not provide an estimate of how long the analysis would take.

Amritsar, Mar 13 (PTI) Russian Army General and current Commander-in-Chief of Ground Forces Oleg Salyukov visited the Golden Temple here on Wednesday.

Before entering the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, Salyukov walked bare foot on the marbled periphery around the pond (pool of nectar) accompanied by senior SGPC officials, including Chief Secretary Roop Singh who briefed the general about the history of Sikhism.

14 Mar 2019; DW: Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has pardoned around 700 political prisoners jailed under his predecessor.

Among those to be freed on Wednesday were opposition figures Franck Diongo, Diomi Ndongala and Firmin Yangambi, who had been jailed under former President Joseph Kabila for various national security offenses.

The pardons fulfill a promise Tshisekedi made to free opposition political prisoners in his first 100 days in office.

Phulbani, Mar 13 (PTI) A woman Maoist was killed in an encounter with security forces in a forest in Odisha's Kandhamal district on Wednesday, police said.

The gun battle took place after Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel launched a joint operation in Sirla forest following a tip-off, Kandhamal, Superintendent of Police, Prateek Singh told reporters here.