New Delhi, Aug 28; PTI: The CPI(M) today lodged its strong protest against the police raids on several civil and human rights activists and left intellectuals, and said it constituted a brazen attack on democratic rights and civil liberties.

The CPI(M) Polit Bureau demanded withdrawal of the cases against these activists and their immediate release, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation said the move was "reminiscent of the infamous Emergency" of the 1975.

Two Kasmiris have been killed by Indian security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, in an alleged encounter.

"It was a specific operation and in a swift action both the terrorists involved in several cases of civilian atrocities and attacks on policemen were eliminated," Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, S P Pani said.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that nothing prepared her for “the extent and depth of suffering” she saw when she visited camps in Bangladesh for Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar’s military.

In her very different role as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. refugee agency, Blanchett said she heard “gut-wrenching accounts” of torture, rape, people seeing loved ones killed before their eyes, and children thrown into fire and burned alive.

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday the 21st Aug 2018 found itself split on triple talaq, with 3 opposed and 2 towards maintaning status quo.

Bench constituted judges from a varied ethnic background. Chief Justice J S Khehar is a Sikh, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer is a Muslim, Justices Kurian Joseph and R F Nariman are Christians, and Justice U U Lalit a Hindu.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, August 29. /TASS/. Russia and China take a stand against attempts by Western counties to monopolize "the right point of view," the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large in China Yevgeny Tomikhin said.

UNITED NATIONS, August 28. /TASS/. Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya will discuss a possible chemical weapons provocation in Syria, as well as a UN directive hampering the country’s reconstruction, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as he himself told reporters.

UNITED NATIONS, August 28. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry, unlike foreign agencies, does not spread fake news, particularly on Syria, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said in response to a statement made by UK Ambassador to the UN Karen Pierce.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pierce told reporters that the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement about preparations for a chemical weapons provocation involving White Helmets members was fake news.

JERUSALEM; 29 Aug 2018; AA: A former Israeli soldier who shot dead an injured Palestinian said that he has “no regret” for his action.

“I know what I have done was right, and I go with it all the way with my head up,” Elor Azaria said in an interview with Israel Hayoum newspaper, excerpts of which were released on Wednesday.

"I do not regret it,” he said “and if time goes back to that moment in Hebron. I will do exactly what I did, because it was the right thing to do.”

New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) As many as 99.3 per cent of the old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, that were banned overnight in November 2016, have been returned, the Reserve Bank of India said in its annual report.

Of the Rs 15.41 lakh crore worth 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in circulation before November 8, 2016, notes worth Rs 15.31 lakh crore have been returned.

The "humungous task of processing and verification of specified bank notes (SBNs) was successfully achieved," it said.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for accountability for the “horrendous persecution” of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar on Tuesday, and Sweden and the Netherlands urged the Security Council to refer the crimes to the International Criminal Court.

But China, which has close ties to Myanmar’s government, said the international community should stop putting pressure on Myanmar and let its government work out the repatriation of Rohingya refugees as soon as possible with Bangladesh, where nearly one million have fled.

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA; 28 Aug 2018; AA: A Turkish fighter pilot has carried out the first flight of the F-35 jet in the U.S. as part of ongoing training, the Turkish General Staff said on Tuesday.

Early July, the Pentagon said Turkish pilots and maintenance personnel were being trained on the F-35 fighter jet in the state of Arizona.

Late June, Turkey took delivery of its first F-35 fighter jet at a ceremony in Forth Worth, Texas.

Turkey plans to get 100 F-35 fighter jets in upcoming years.

Chennai 28 Aug 2018; GANASHAKTI: Soon after his elevation as DMK chief, MK Stalin expressed concern over the present political situation and said that the secular fabric of the country is under attack by authoritative and communal forces.