The Central government has assured to extend all assistance to Karnataka to deal with the situation arising out of severe floods and incessant rains in parts of the State, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday.

The ruling AIADMK which was leading in Vellore Lok Sabha seat since Friday morning was pushed to the second place by arch rival DMK and the opposition party is ahead by a margin of 7,985 votes.

Restrictions will be eased to allow people in the Kashmir Valley to offer Friday prayers in local mosques, officials said. However, there will be no Friday congregation at the historic Jama Masjid here. 

Kuttiady: Amidst heavy rain, two people who were crossing a stream flowing in full flow, were washed away on late Thursday night here at Kutyadi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the flood situation in Kerala and sought assistance for those affected in the State, including in his constituency Wayanad. 

Bengaluru: At least 42 people have been reportedly killed in the southern states of Karnataka and Kerala due to heavy rain and floods in the past few days. According to the reports 23 people have been killed in Kerala while 19 have been reportedly killed in Karnataka as rain continued to batter the states on Friday.

Pakistan has decided to ban all cultural exchanges with India, including all kinds of joint ventures between the entertainment industry of the two countries after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, a media report said on Friday.

Shubman Gill became the youngest Indian cricketer to score a first-class double century and combined with skipper Hanuma Vihari to put India A in the driver's seat against West Indies A in the third unofficial test here.