Indian Sub-continent

NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (NNN-PTI) – Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, virtually launched 100 farmer drones across India, for spraying pesticides and other farming materials, local media reported yesterday.

Modi described the development as a “very novel and exciting initiative” for farmers, and “a new chapter in the direction of modern farming system of the 21st century.”

The new technology will empower farmers and make agriculture more profitable, he wrote on social media.

NEW DELHI, Feb 20 (NNN-PTI) – India’s airlines, Air India, will operate three flights to Ukraine next week, to bring back those who are willing to leave the European country, confirmed an airlines official yesterday.

“Air India will operate three flights between India-Ukraine (Boryspil International Airport) on Feb 22, 24 and 26. Bookings open through Air India booking offices, Website, Call Centre and authorised Travel Agents,” the company tweeted.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s government presented a contentious half-billion dollar aid grant from the United States for approval in Parliament on Sunday, triggering a fresh round of clashes between protesters and police outside the legislature.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Parliament to try to push through barbed wire barricades and pelted riot police with stones. Police beat the protesters with bamboo batons, fired tear gar and water canons, leaving injuries on both sides.

FATEHGARH SAHIB, India (AP) — Amandeep Kaur Dholewal rose from a traditional Indian cot and began speaking to a small gathering of men and women who sat cross-legged in a park opposite a white-domed gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs.

The 37-year-old doctor was flanked by a dozen of supporters, mainly drawn from the protesters who last year hunkered on the edges of the Indian capital and demonstrated against farm laws pushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which they feared would decimate their income.

Portland, Feb 20 (AP) China has failed to live up to its promise to buy more Maine lobster under a deal that opened the door to an easing of a trade war under former President Donald Trump, Maine's congressional leaders say.

Maine's lobster industry was hurt by retaliatory Chinese tariffs in 2018 and failed to see substantial export gains after China committed to buying an additional USD 200 billion in US goods, the delegation contends.

New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) With Punjab going to polls on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged people of the state to vote for the one who supports them and answers fearlessly.

He also urged voters in Uttar Pradesh, where polling is taking place for the third phase, to vote for development, and said a new future will be laid out with the formation of a new government.

Voting for 117 Assembly seats in Punjab is taking place while polling is also underway in 59 Assembly constituencies spread across 16 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Bengaluru, Feb 19 (PTI) Girl students in many parts of Karnataka were denied entry into their respective educational institutions on Saturday as they arrived in Hijabs, despite a court order, as the issue showed no signs of abating after its flare-up about a fortnight ago that prompted the government to close down colleges and institutions for a couple of days.

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) The Centre on Saturday decided to give 'Y' category security to former leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kumar Vishwas, official sources said.

The central government had reviewed the security of Vishwas and the threat perception based on intelligence inputs in the wake of his allegations against AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

After the review, it was decided to give Vishwas 'Y' category security through the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the sources said.

Hyderabad, Feb 19 (PTI)  Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao would meet his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday as part of his campaign against the BJP's alleged anti-people policies.

Rao, also known as KCR, would meet Thackeray, president of Shiv Sena, at his residence in Mumbai at 1 PM and have lunch with him, TRS sources said here on Saturday.

After the meeting with Thackeray, Rao would go to Pawar's residence and discuss national political issues, the sources said.

Jaipur, Feb 19 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday hit out at the BJP and the RSS, saying that the RSS did not play any role in the freedom struggle and the same guilt lies in its top leadership.

Gehlot was addressing the state-level convention of Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee at Birla Auditorium here.

He said Congress leaders made many sacrifices before and after the independence and the people of BJP and RSS are suffering from some kind of guilt.