India

Chennai, Nov 22 (PTI) NDA constituent PMK on Friday condemned the latest instance of Sri Lankan Navy targeting Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu, saying how long will India remain a witness to the "excess" by that country's naval force.

More than 2,500 fishermen were allegedly chased away by the Sri Lankan Navy while they were fishing near Katchatheevu islet on Wednesday.

Guwahati, Nov 22 (PTI) A Japanese student on an exchange programme at IIT-Guwahati has been found dead inside a hostel room, police said.

The body of the student, identified as that of Kota Onoda (22) was found hanging from the ventilator of a bathroom in Lohit hostel at 3.30 pm on Thursday, a spokesperson of IIT-Guwahati said.

After receiving information, a police team reached the spot and recovered the body.

Srinagar, Nov 22 (PTI) Most shops and other business establishments in Kashmir were closed on Friday, the third consecutive day of a Valley-wide shutdown following a brief semblance of normalcy.

On Wednesday, posters warning shopkeepers against opening their shutters as well as public transport operators appeared at several places in the city and elsewhere in the Valley, officials said.

This ended the sense of the last few weeks that life was getting back to normal.

NEW DELHI, Nov 21 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The United States will sell naval guns to India in a US$1 billion deal as American military exports witness rapid increase in their bilateral trade.

India has sought 13 MK45 naval guns and 3,500 D349 Projectile as part of the purchase that includes spare parts, personnel training and technical assistance, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) There is no proposal to make access to potable water a fundamental right, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Any such proposal is not under consideration of the government, the minister said during Question Hour.

He was replying to a question raised by BJP member Hema Malini.

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) Controversial BJP MP Pragya Thakur and three-time chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, who is detained under the stringent PSA, have been named to the 21-member joint consultative committee of parliament on defence.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be chairing the committee, which will comprise 12 members from Lok Sabha and 9 from Rajya Sabha.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and the United States are in talks to resolve trade issues and both New Delhi and Washington hope to find an early solution, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Varanasi, Nov 21 (PTI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday came out in support of the Muslim professor whose appointment at the Banaras Hindu University's Sanskrit department has triggered a row.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader defended the appointment.

"Our languages and culture are our speciality, our strength," the Congress leader tweeted.

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) The issue of monkey menace at religious places and in Lutyens Zone in the national capital was raised in Lok Sabha on Thursday by BJP MP Hema Malini.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, the MP from Mathura, said monkey menace at religious places was a matter of concern and the government should do something about it.

"People in Vrindavan and Mathura in my constituency have been hit by the menace with monkeys snatching items from pilgrims," she said.

Srinagar, Nov 20, GANASHAKTI: Several areas in Kashmir, including parts of Srinagar, witnessed a complete shutdown on Wednesday after posters warning shopkeepers against the opening of shops appeared overnight, officials said.

There was a complete shutdown in several areas in downtown (Old City) of Srinagar on Wednesday as shopkeepers did not open their business establishments in the morning, they said.

The officials said the shutdown was also witnessed in Ganderbal town in central Kashmir and Anantnag town in south Kashmir.