News brief: Big stories of the day

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said that he would boycott not only Panchayat elections but also Lok Sabha and Assembly elections if the Centre doesn't clear its stand on Article 35A and Article 370, reported news agency ANI.

Swaraj India president and psephologist Yogendra Yadav was detained by Tamil Nadu police on Saturday in Tiruvannamalai district. Yadav was detained when he was on his way to meet farmers protesting against a proposed Rs. 10,000 crore eight-lane Salem-Chennai expressway.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday decided to postpone its organisational elections to pave the way for Amit Shah to continue as President until the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, according to reports.

A helicopter crashed into a hillside in central Nepal on Saturday, killing five on board, including a Japanese tourist, officials said. One woman survived the crash with injuries but another passenger is still missing. 

The United States constantly sends messages to Iran to begin negotiations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday in a speech broadcast on state television.