BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Prices of farm produce in China rose slightly in the week ending Jan. 20, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The price index for farm produce edged up 1 percent from the previous week, while the index for production materials remained flat.

The average wholesale price of 30 types of vegetables went up 5.1 percent, compared with a 0.5 percent rise a week earlier.

The wholesale price of eggs rose 1.6 percent from the previous week. The price of beef went up 0.8 percent and lamb went up 0.1 percent.

Mumbai, Jan 21 (PTI) The launch of a political party exclusively for women was announced in Mumbai Monday with the motto of empowerment of the fair sex.

Announcing the formation of the National Women's Party (NWP), its founder-president Dr Swetha Shetty said apart from ensuring empowerment of women, the issues like getting 50 per cent reservation for them in Parliament and state assemblies, and betterment of soldiers and farmers, are their top priorities.

KRASNODAR, January 22. /TASS/. Eight out of twelve sailors rescued after fire onboard two vessels in the Black Sea are Turkish nationals, the Turkish consulate general in Russia’s Novorossiysk told TASS on Tuesday.

Earlier reports said there were a total of 31 people onboard the two vessels, twelve sailors have been rescued and ten have been found dead.

"We know that eight Turkish nationals have been rescued. <...> The bodies [of those killed] have not been yet identified," a spokesperson said.

KATHMANDU, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nepali and Chinese entrepreneurs discussed on Monday at a forum the promotion of Chinese investment in the Himalayan country through joint ventures.

A delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs led by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and members of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), a grouping of medium and large scale industries in Nepal, held business to business meeting about the promotion of Chinese investment in Nepal through joint ventures.

Guwahati, Jan 21 (PTI) An NSCN(R) cadre was arrested and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during separate raids in Assam's Tinsukia district, police said Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, Army troops launched an operation near Tirap Colliery in Ledo town and nabbed the NSCN(R) militant on Monday.

The militant has been identified as Singmai Haseng and a 7.65 mm pistol, a magazine and three rounds of ammunition have been recovered from him.

He was later handed over to the police, a police officer said.

22 Jan 2019; AFP: Plans to free a radical cleric linked to the deadly Bali bombings are under review, Indonesia has said, after the surprise decision drew sharp criticism.

Abu Bakar Bashir was once synonymous with militant Islam in Indonesia and was tied to the terror network behind the 2002 attacks that killed more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. /TASS/. An earthquake of 6.1 magnitude has rocked Indonesia on Tuesday, US Geological Survey reported.

The earthquake's epicenter lay 220 km to the north-west of the town of Dompu (around 49,000 residents) on the Sumbawa island, at the depth of 31.3 km.

No injuries or damages have been reported. No tsunami alert was issued.

PARIS (AP) — France’s data privacy watchdog fined Google 50 million euros ($57 million) on Monday, the first penalty for a U.S. tech giant under new European data privacy rules that took effect last year.

The National Data Protection Commission said it fined the U.S. internet giant for “lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent” regarding ad personalization for users.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived in Harare late Monday after cutting short his fund-raising trip in order to address the country’s economic crisis and crackdown.

Mnangagwa was welcomed at Harare International Airport by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, former army commander who was in charge during the president’s week-long absence and when the government launched a widespread clampdown in which 12 people were killed, more shot by troops and others dragged from their homes and beaten, according to human rights groups.

Srinagar, Jan 21 (PTI) Three unidentified Kashmiris were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Monday, the Army said.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched in Hapatnaar area following information about the presence of separatists in the area, an official said.

The search operation turned into a gun battle after the separatists opened fire on the security forces. Three separatists were killed in the operation, the official said, adding that the identity and affiliation of them were being ascertained.

21 Jan 2019; AFP: A group of 27 soldiers rose up against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at a command post in Caracas on Monday, but they were quickly arrested after posting an appeal for public support in a video.

"We are the professional troop of the National Guard against the regime, which we completely repudiate. I need your help, take to the streets," a man who identified himself as the group's leader said in a video circulated on social media.

Varanasi, Jan 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described NRIs as India's brand ambassadors and said they were the symbols of the country's capabilities.

The prime minister was inaugurating the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.

"I consider NRIs India's brand ambassadors. They are the symbols of our capacities and capabilities," he told the gathering.

"People of Indian origin are in leadership roles in countries such as Mauritius, Portugal and Ireland," he said.