India

Gangtok, Jul 2 (PTI) Twelve Army personnel in Sikkim have tested positive for coronavirus, taking the Himalayan state's tally to 101, a top official of the Health department said on Thursday.

Director General-cum-Secretary, Health, Dr Pema T Bhutia said that these 12 Army men, said to br primary contacts of their 40 year-old colleague who had tested positive on June 23, were tested for COVID-19 and their results have come positive.

These 12 army men as well as their 40 year-old colleague have been shifted to the Army hospital at Bagdogra, Bhutia said.

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Amid rising cases of novel coronavirus in the national capital, top government authorities have reviewed setting up of a COVID-19 war room in Delhi, officials said on Thursday.

The Kejriwal government has been emphasising on ramping up health infrastructure to meet the projected bed requirements for patients, as part of which it has already acquired several hotels, banquet halls and attached them with hospitals and nursing homes.

Thane, Jul 2(PTI) A woman MLA has tested positive for coronavirus in Thane district of Maharashtra, becoming the fourth legislator from the area to contract the disease, a senior civic official said on Thursday.

The MLA tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, he said.

Her husband tested positive for the infection on Thursday and both of them have been home quarantined, the official said.

She has become the fourth legislator to test positive for COVID-19 in Thane district. Earlier, two MLAs and an MLC had contracted the disease.

Lucknow, Jul 3 (PTI) At least eight Uttar Pradesh police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, were killed in an encounter with criminals in Kanpur, police said on Friday.

The encounter took place when the police team was trying to arrest Vikas Dubey, a history sheeter facing 60 criminal cases, in Dikru village under Chaubeypur police station on the intervening night of July 2 and 3, they said.

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it has issued individual orders on a case-to-case basis for cancellation of visas and blacklisting of over 2,500 foreign nationals, for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities.

Bahraich (UP), Jul 2 (PTI) Seventeen members of the Tablighi Jamaat from Indonesia and Thailand, who were arrested in March, have been released on bail, police said on Thursday.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Navneet Kumar Bharti on Wednesday ordered their release on surety of Rs 25,000 each.

The foreigners, 10 from Indonesia and seven from Thailand, were arrested in March under various sections, including the Passport Act, the Foreigners' Act and the Epidemic Act.

Bijapur, Jul 2 (PTI) Naxals killed a policeman in front of his family members and injured his parents at their home in Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place in Maatwada village under Jangla police station limits late Wednesday night when assistant constable Somaru Poyam was at home on medical leave, Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap said.

Poyam, who was posted at Farsegarh police station in the district, was on medical leave since June 10, he said.

Bhopal, Jul 2 (PTI) The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh cabinet was expanded on Thursday with induction of 28 ministers, including a dozen loyalists of BJP MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose exit from the Congress in March led to fall of the Kamal Nath-led regime in the state.

Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office to the new ministers at a function in the Raj Bhawan.

The event was organised by following COVID-19 protocols.

Lucknow, Jul 2 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti Thursday appeared in person before a special court here conducting trial in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case.

The special CBI court is currently recording the statements of 32 accused under CrPC section 313 (court's power to examine the accused), a stage in the trial that follows the examination of prosecution witnesses.

The 61-year-old saffron clad BJP leader is the 19th accused to depose before the court in the over 27-year-old case.

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Delhi's first plasma bank to help treat novel coronavirus started functioning on Thursday, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that COVID-19 patients can donate their plasma 14 days after recovery.

Addressing an online media briefing, the chief minister issued numbers - 1031 and 8800007722 where people can contact for donation of plasma to save the lives of COVID-19 patients.

The government has set up the plasma bank at the state-run Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences.