News brief: Big stories of the day

China's defence ministry said on Thursday that it was supporting Afghanistan's defence and counterterrorism efforts, a day after Beijing denied a plan to build a base in Afghanistan and to send Chinese forces to the war-torn country.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took yet another swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. 

India's Jinson Johnson on Thursday clinched gold in 1500m race event at the ongoing Asian Games. He finished the race with a timing of 3:44:72.

The Indian government is in the process of extending it’s National Knowledge Network to Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in order to enhance cooperation in the field of education, PM Narendra Modi said at BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies is a solution to prevent the country from being in constant election mode, the Law Commission said today in its draft report and recommended changes in the Constitution and the electoral law to hold the mammoth exercise.