Indian Sub-continent

Pune, Apr 18 (PTI) A 58-year-old Brigadier-rank Army officer allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a moving train at the Pune railway station on Sunday, railway police said.

The deceased, a male officer, was currently serving at the city-based Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), they said.

"The victim came to the railway station with his driver. Leaving the driver outside, he went to platform number 3 and jumped before the Udyan Express around 12.15 pm and died," Superintendent of Police (GRP), Sadanand Wayse-Patil, said.

Tezpur, Apr 18 (PTI) The Tezpur University in Assam directed the undergraduate and post-graduate students to leave the campus amid rising COVID-19 cases, officials said on Sunday.

The directive came as several COVID-19 cases were detected on the campus, they said.

The students are to vacate their rooms by April 23 with bags and baggage or leave their belongings in a safe place in the hostel at their own risk, said an official notification issued on Saturday.

Bahraich, Apr 18 (PTI) A case was registered against seven lab technicians attached to a hospital treating coronavirus patients as they failed to join duty after letters of appointment were issued to them, officials said on Sunday.

Project Officer of District Urban Development Agency Sanjay Singh said eight lab technicians were appointed at the hospital but seven of them did not join duty.

He said a case has been registered against them and new technicians have been appointed in their place.

Rishikesh, Apr 18 (PTI) Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Bachi Singh Rawat died at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences here on Sunday. He was 71.

Rawat was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after he complained of difficulty in breathing.

Medical Superintendent of AIIMS, BS Bastia, confirmed his death.

Rawat was brought in an air ambulance from Haldwani and was admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital.

Preliminary tests had revealed an infection in his lungs.

(Reuters) --- Police in Pakistan said a hardline Islamist group had taken six security personnel hostage at its headquarters in Lahore on Sunday after a week of violent clashes following the arrest of the group's leader.

KABUL, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A local Islamic State (IS) leader was killed by Afghan Special Forces in the country's eastern Nangarhar province Saturday night, National Directorate of Security (NDS), the country's national intelligence agency, confirmed on Sunday.

"Acting on a confirmed tip-off, the NDS Special Operations Forces conducted an operation in Kuz Kunar district, Nangarhar province, to arrest Kamin, known as Hakimullah, one of the IS newly designated local leaders," the agency said on Twitter.

New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) A Delhi court has granted bail to actor-activist Deep Sidhu, who was arrested in connection with the Red Fort violence on Republic Day.

Special Judge Neelofer Abida Perveen granted relief to the accused on Friday on a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and two sureties of a like amount.

Ranchi, Apr 17 (PTI) The Jharkhand High Court on Saturday granted bail to RJD president Lalu Prasad in the Dumka treasury case of the multi-crore rupees fodder scam on completion of half the sentence period, paving way for his release from jail.

The bail order was given by Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh.

Panaji, Apr 18 (PTI) A mine owners body in Goa has warned that the absence of clarity on resumption of mining activity will result in huge debt for the state as tourism, which is one of the major contributors to the state GDP, is feeling the pinch due to resurging coronavirus cases in the country.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) The country needs to prepare for "greater uncertainty" in terms of consumer as well as investor sentiments due to the second wave of coronavirus infections, and the government will respond with fiscal measures as and when required, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Sunday.

While acknowledging that the present situation has become far more difficult than it was in the past due to rising coronavirus infections, Kumar remained hopeful that the country's economy will grow 11 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 31, 2022.