Indian Sub-continent

(Reuters) --- Islamist radicals in Pakistan on Monday released 11 police abducted during violent anti-blasphemy protests against France over the weekend, the interior minister said as his government opened negotiations with the group after a week of violence.

All main businesses, markets and shopping malls and public transport were closed in major cities in response to a strike call by the Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), prompting the main KSE-100 stock index to open more than 500 points lower.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh on Monday allowed police to continue to question an influential leader of an Islamist group that led violent protests against last month’s visit by India’s prime minister to the Muslim-majority nation.

Lawyers said Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Devdas Chandra Adhikari issued the decision after state counsels argued that Mamunul Haque of the group Hefazat-e-Islam was dangerous and investigators need to continue questioning him.

NEW DELHI (AP) — New Delhi imposed a weeklong lockdown Monday night to prevent the collapse of the Indian capital’s health system, which authorities said had been pushed to its limit amid an explosive surge in coronavirus cases.

In scenes familiar from surges elsewhere, ambulances catapulted from one hospital to another, trying to find an empty bed over the weekend, while patients lined up outside of medical facilities waiting to be let in. Ambulances also idled outside of crematoriums, carrying half a dozen dead bodies each.

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) A 47-year-old district court judge succumbed to COVID-19 at a government hospital here on Monday.

Kovai Venugopal, who was a judge at the Saket Family Court, died at 11 am at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Naryan Hospital.

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) India's total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed the 15,000,000 mark with around 2,500,000 cases being added in just 15 days, while active cases surpassed the 1,900,000 mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday

The nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases mounted to 15,061,919 with a record single-day rise of 273,810 coronavirus infections

The death toll increased to 178,769 with a record 1,619 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

New Tehri, Apr 18 (PTI) Hoodwinking the authorities, 20 patients escaped from a COVID care centre at Narendra Nagar here, officials said here on Sunday.

The matter came to light when doctors visited the wards at the centres on Saturday night for a regular check-up, Chief Medical Superintendent Niraj Rai said.

Thirty-eight people were being treated there, of which 20 were found missing, said Chief Medical Officer Suman Arya.

Two of those who escaped belonged to Uttarakhand while the rest were from outside the state, she said.

Barrackpore/ Krishnanagar/Gaighata/ Tehatta (WB), Apr 18 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modis resignation for mishandling the COVID-19 second wave and alleged he had failed in prior planning to combat the medical crisis.

Asserting that Modi had done little to address the crisis in medical oxygen supplies and shortage of vaccines faced by states, she said the prime minister should have planned for the second wave of infections which have come now in the months after the first peak in September subsided.

Jammu, Apr 18 (PTI) 'Awaam Ki Awaaz', a radio programme in Jammu and Kashmir aimed at seeking public feedback to make the process of governance interactive, participatory and people-centric, went on the air on Sunday, an official spokesperson said.

The 30-minute programme, to be aired every third Sunday of the month, is an initiative of Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

Kolkata, Apr 18 (PTI) In a show of strength, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday held a roadshow in parts of south Kolkata considered to be her backyard.

Sitting in a wheelchair with her bandaged left foot, she led the padayatra from Dhakuria Bridge to Kalighat Crossing, covering a distance of over 5 km.

She was accompanied by TMC candidate for Rashbehari assembly constituency, Debashis Kumar, and other senior party leaders.

Bhopal, Apr 18 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday asked people to stay indoors till April 30 to break the chain of rising coronavirus infection.

The CM's appeal triggered speculation that the ongoing "corona curfew", which is in force in many parts of Madhya Pradesh till April 23, maybe extended till April 30.

"It is very necessary to break the chain of the coronavirus infection in view of the rise in the cases...No one should come out of house unnecessarily till April 30," Chouhan said in a statement.