Following are the top foreign stories at 2015 hours

FGN35: LANKA-JAFFNA-LD AIRPORT Jaffna: An Alliance Air flight from Chennai landed at the Jaffna International Airport on Thursday as Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena inaugurated the country's third international airport, upgraded with India's assistance, in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province.

FGN39: CHINA-INDOPAK

Beijing: China said on Thursday it will play a "constructive role" in the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan, days after the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.

FGN33: PAK-TURKEY-ERDOGAN-POSTPONE Islamabad: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's planned visit to Pakistan has been postponed, the foreign office announced here on Thursday, amidst growing international pressure, including from India, on Ankara to stop a cross-border offensive against Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

FGN34: UK-VARSITY-GANDHI

London: Students from the University of Manchester in UK have launched a "Gandhi Must Fall" campaign against a proposed statue of the leader of the Indian freedom struggle outside Manchester Cathedral, approved by the local authorities.

FGN30: UK-BREXIT-LD DEAL London: The UK and the European Union (EU) on Thursday declared that they have agreed a new Brexit deal for Britain's withdrawal from the 28-member economic bloc within the October 31 deadline.

FGN38: LANKA-WICKREMESINGHE

Jaffna: Asserting that South Asia is going to be the fastest growing region in the world, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said the nations in the region "must learn how to cooperate" and settle bilateral and regional issues through talks to develop the area faster.

FGN8: US-SITHARAMAN-LD INVESTORS Washington: Investors can find no better place in the world than India that has a democracy loving and capitalist respecting environment, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.

FGN19: US-SHRINGLA-KASHMIR-LD LAWMAKERS

Washington: India's ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, has briefed lawmakers on the situation in Kashmir and the steps taken by the government to maintain peace after Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked in August.

FGN25: PAK-INDIA-WATER Islamabad: Pakistan said on Thursday that it has "exclusive rights" over three Western rivers and any attempt by India to divert the flow of these rivers would be considered an "act of aggression"

FGN21: UK-LD NIRAV

London: Fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, on Thursday was remanded to prison until November 11 after he appeared via videolink from his London jail for a regular remand hearing.

FGN9: SAUDI-2NDLD ACCIDENT Riyadh: Thirty-five foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus collided with another heavy vehicle near the Muslim holy city of Medina, Saudi state media said on Thursday. (AFP)

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