India

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Donald Trump’s declaration that he was taking a malaria drug of dubious effectiveness to help fend off the coronavirus will likely be welcomed in India.

Trump’s previous endorsement of hydroxychloroquine catalyzed a tremendous shift in the South Asian country, spurring the world’s largest producer of the drug to make much more of it, prescribe it for front-line health workers treating the virus and deploy it as a diplomatic tool, despite mounting evidence against using the drug for COVID-19.

Srinagar, May 19 (UMMN): Two Kashmiri separatists were killed on Tuesday in an encounter with Indian security forces in Nawakadal area of Kashmir's Srinagar district, officials said.

Two security personnel -- a CRPP jawan and a Jammu and Kashmir policeman were injured.

New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to transfer to CBI the criminal cases lodged against Republic TV Editor in-Chief Arnab Goswami for alleged defamatory news show telecast on April 21 in connection with the Palghar mob-lynching case.

Lucknow, May 19 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday asked Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to provide buses for carrying migrants to the district magistrates of Ghaziabad and Noida, as the war of words over the issue seemed to be subsiding.

In a letter written to Vadra's private secretary, UP's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, "As per your letter dated May 19, you have expressed your inability to provide buses in Lucknow, and want to provide them in Ghaziabad and Noida."

Kolkata, May 18 (PTI) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced a slew of lockdown relaxations and said her government would not impose night curfew in West Bengal as proposed by the Centre.

Extending the coronavirus lockdown till May 31, Banerjee said street vendors, salon and parlour owners would be allowed to reopen the shops from May 27.

Ahmedabad, May 18 (PTI) The Congress on Monday slammed the Karnataka government's decision to let in people from Gujarat in a staggered manner, alleging the BJP-led dispensation in the southern state is increasing the hardships of its own people settled in the western state.

In a counter, the ruling BJP in Gujarat asked the opposition party in the state not to politicise health-related decisions.

Mumbai, May 18 (PTI) Residents of some housing societies in suburban Ghatkopar here on Monday came out on a road demanding that the quarantine centre for coronavirus cases be shifted from Cama Lane locality, police said.

The 150-bed facility was set up in a building located in front of residential buildings.

Many residents came out on streets outside their buildings in evening for their demand.

"Members of some four to five residential societies opposed the facility at a time when people should help each other," said local ML Parag Shah of the BJP.

Thane, May 18(PTI) The body of a 29-year-old man from Navi Mumbai has gone missing from a civic hospital in Vashi, police said on Monday.

Senior inspector of the Vashi police station Sanjeev Dhumal said police have received acomplaint from relatives of the deceased and also hospital authorities about the body going missing from the mortuary of the NMMC-run hospital.

"We are probing into the complaint," he said.

Details will be available only after the probe is over, Dhumal said.

Amritsar, May 18 (PTI) Two chiefs of an ashram here were on Monday arrested for allegedly raping two women, police said.

The women aged 25 and 40 years were rescued from the ashram following a police raid.

According to the women, they were earlier allegedly raped by two disciples of the ashram -- Suraj Nath and Nachtar Nath.

So, they visited the ashram on Sunday to lodge a complaint with the two ashram chiefs -- Girdari Nath and Varinder Nath.

New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) Spitting at workplace will be punishable with fine, the Personnel Ministry has said, citing the national directives for COVID-19 management.

In an order issued to all central government departments, it has asked their heads to ensure strict compliance of this and other directives in this regard.