MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/ The Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transportation has confirmed that two tankers on fire in the Black Sea are in Russia's territorial waters, the agency's press service told TASS on Wednesday.

"The two tankers on fire are drifting and have already entered Russia's territorial waters, its 12-mile zone," the press service said.

DOHA, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir left Doha on Wednesday after a two-day visit to Qatar, the state-run Qatar news agency (QNA) reported.

Bashir left the Hamad International Airport this evening and was seen off by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan al-Merikhi, said the QNA.

Bashir had a session of talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and exchanged views about developments in Sudan.

The emir expressed Qatar's firm stance that is strongly keen on Sudan's unity and stability.

Chennai, Jan 23 (PTI) A 16-hour countdown began Wednesday for the launch of Kalamsat, a student payload, and imaging satellite Microsat-R, onboard India's Polar rocket PSLV C-44 from the spaceport of Sriharikota Thursday.

"The countdown for the launch of PSLV-C44 mission started today at 19:37 hrs (IST) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The launch is scheduled at 23:37 Hrs IST on 24th January 2019," a mission update by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson will attend a meeting of five main nuclear states in Beijing on January 30-31, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing answering a TASS question.

"Next week on January 30-31, Ryabkov and Thompson are scheduled to be in Beijing to attend a meeting of the so-called ‘nuclear five’," she said.

Ratlam (MP), Jan 23 (PTI) A 36-year-old RSS worker was allegedly killed and his body with throat slit was found dumped in his field on Wednesday morning at Kamed village in the district, a police officer said.

The deceased, Himmat Patidar, who was former RSS Shivpur mandal karyawah (president), was found dead with his face burnt in his field located under Bilpank police station area, the officer said.

MADRID, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- As millions of stargazers around the world watched the super wolf blood moon on Sunday night, some noticed a small flash on the moon's surface, which a Spanish researcher said was caused by the impact of a meteorite.

"A rock hits the moon during the total eclipse," Jose Maria Madiedo, an astrophysicist of the University of Huelva in Spain, tweeted Tuesday. Attached to his tweet was a YouTube link displaying the impact flash during the lunar eclipse.

24 Jan 2019; DW: The Italian government evicted over 500 people from the country's second-largest refugee center on Tuesday and Wednesday, taking people away in buses to undisclosed locations. The mayor of Castelnuovo di Porto, a small suburb north of Rome, said the migrants were removed from his town with little warning or further information.

KUBINKA /Moscow Region/, January 23. /TASS/. The United States’ demand for Russia’s verifiable elimination of all cruise missiles 9M729 are absolutely unacceptable for Russia, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told a joint news briefing by the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry devoted to the 9M729 missile on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Jan 23; PTI: The move of granting 10 per cent quota to general category poor will "backfire" on the BJP as the "bahujans" (majority) are feeling duped, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has said.

The Modi government met a key demand of those castes, which had so far not been covered under reservation benefits, earlier this month as it got a Constitution amendment bill passed in Parliament to give 10 per cent quota in education and jobs for the general category poor.

23 Jan 2019; DW: Germany will not be sending any more ships to take part in the anti-people smuggling operation Sophia in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a senior military officer.

The decision means frigate Augsburg, currently stationed off the coast of Libya, will not be replaced early next month, Bundeswehr Inspector General Eberhard Zorn told members of the defense and foreign affairs committees in the German parliament.

Srinagar, Jan 23 (PTI) Three Lashkar-e-Taiba separatists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.

The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Binner area of the district on receiving information about the presence of separatists in the area, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into a gunfight after the ultras opened fire at the the security personnel.

New Delhi, Jan 23 (PTI) The CBI has booked former Air India chairman-cum-managing director Arvind Jadhav for allegedly violating procedures while making various promotions and appointments, officials said Wednesday.

Along with Jadhav, the CBI has also named then executive director (personnel) L P Nakhwa (now retired) and former additional general mangers (operations) Arvind Kathpalia, Amitabh Singh and Rohit Bhasin in its FIR registered under the Indian Penal Code section related to criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.