IS releases 19 Christians, over 200 still captive

BEIRUT: Islamic State released 19 Assyrian Christian captives in Syria on Sunday after processing them through a sharia court. More than 200 Assyrians remain in Islamic State hands, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, captives from an Islamic State advance last month that overran more than a dozen villages inhabited by the ancient Christian minority near Hasaka, a northeastern city mainly held by the Kurds. reuters

India provides scholarships to 200 Nepalese students

Kathmandu: India on Sunday handed over 200 scholarships to Nepalese students for various courses under a bilateral scheme to boost human resource development in the country. Nepal's Vice-President Parmananda Jha and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae jointly handed over the certificates to the 13th batch of the Golden Jubilee Scholarship recipients at a function organised here. PTI

Myanmar captures rare white elephant 

Yangon: Myanmar's forestry department has captured a rare white elephant in the jungles of the country's western Ayeyarwaddy region. The 7-year-old female was captured on Friday, six weeks after it was initially spotted in a reserve in Pathein township, forestry official Tun Tun Oo said. It's the ninth white elephant in captivity in the country. PTI