Newswallah: Bharat Edition

Jammu and Kashmir: On Wednesday a 30-year-old schoolteacher suffered an acid attack while returning from the coaching center where she taught in Srinagar,  Daily News & Analysis reported. The accused, Reyaz Ahmad Nath, is reported to be a jilted lover who had been harassing the woman for over three years. Shopkeepers in Lal Chowk, the commercial hub of Srinagar, shut their stores for two hours on Friday in protest.

Rajasthan: An 18-year-old girl tried to self-immolate in Alwar after being repeatedly harassed by a neighbor, according to news channel IBNLive. The girl has sustained burn injuries over 90 percent of her body and is currently in the hospital. The neighbor, who has been arrested, had been stalking the girl and threatened to kill her father and brothers if she did not marry him, police officials said.

Gujarat: The Chinese automobile company Great Wall Motor might be the latest automobile manufacturer to make Gujarat a manufacturing base, the Business Standard reported. The state already hosts companies including Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki India, General Motors India and Ford India. According to a senior official in the Gujarat government, officials from Great Wall Motor have visited Gujarat and shown interest in setting up a manufacturing plant in the state.

Madhya Pradesh: Nine fast-track courts to deliver speedy justice in cases of crimes against women will be setup in Madhya Pradesh this month, the Free Press Journal reported. The state government plans to set up these fast-track courts in every district in the state. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had announced the government's intention to do so early last year, after two girls were gang-raped in the Betma area of Indore city.

Punjab: In a move to woo Punjabis living outside India, the state government has unveiled a Punjabi privilege card, the Deccan Herald reported. Cardholders will get discounts at retail outlets and restaurants, and “preferential treatment at designated hospitals.” The government will also unveil a new policy to deal with a wide range of issues concerning Punjabi diaspora this week, the article said.

Assam:  Assam recorded 568 poverty-driven suicides in the past three years, according to the Statistical Yearbook I ndia 2013, The Assam Tribune reported. The number of such suicides increased every year between 2009 and 2011, with 268 people committing suicide due to poverty in 2011. That is a higher number of deaths than were caused by insurgency or floods in the state.

Karnataka: The police detained more people for questioning on Thursday while investigating a kidney transplant racket that allegedly involves government officials and major hospitals in the city of Bangalore, The Hindu reported. The victims are poor and, in many cases, have not received the amount of money they were promised, the report said.

Kerala: Two Italian marines charged with murder returned to India after spending Christmas at home with their families, The Hindu reported. The Kerala High Court had earlier given the marines permission to go to Italy if the Italian ambassador and consul-general guaranteed their return. The marines in February shot and killed two Indian fishermen, who they mistook for pirates; Italy expressed regret for the killings but said they took place in international waters.