Jammu and Kashmir: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court held that a Muslim man's power to divorce his wife is not “unrestricted or unqualified,†Kashmir Live reported. Justice Hasnain Masoodi, in his 23-page judgment, delved into the details of Shariah, or Islamic law, and the Koran, the Muslim holy book, to come to the conclusion that a “husband cannot have unrestricted or unqualified power to pronounce the Talaaq.â€
Assam: The World Bank has pledged $320 million for improving the road networks in northeastern India, The Times of India reported. The agreement, which was signed Monday by the state government and the central government, laid down a six-year period for completion of the project.
Arunachal Pradesh: In a daytime heist at a bank in the state capital, Itanagar, three men carrying small firearms stole 450,000 rupees, or $8,200, The Assam Tribune reported.
Jharkhand: The Jharkhand High Court issued a contempt notic e to the chief of the Jharkhand Disom Party, the social activist Dayamani Barla and four others for burning an effigy of the high court during a protest  last month, according to a Press Trust of India report.
Rajasthan: The Election Commission has started an awareness program in the state to encourage women to register as voters. Currently, more than 2 million women are not registered, the Daily Bhaskar reported. Rajasthan has a skewed child sex ratio, and the authorities are concerned about the inadequate representation of women in the general, assembly and municipal elections in the state.
Gujarat: The labor strike at the Apollo Tyre factory near Vododra, which began on Oct. 23, has been declared illegal by the state's labor commission, the Business Standard reported. This could result in the termination of jobs for the 700 striking workers, who are demanding the recognition of a newly formed union.
Karnataka: Hundreds of hens have been culled after an outbreak of bird flu near Bangalore city. Chicken consumption has dipped 40 percent as a result and chicken prices have also dropped, The New Indian Express reported. The price of eggs, however, is up by about 25 paise per egg after Kerala's government allowed the import of eggs from Tamil Nadu.
