Indian Sub-continent

MUMBAI, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Lenders to India's beleaguered airline -- Jet Airways would invite bids for their stake on Saturday till April 9, a release issued by the State Bank of India on behalf of 26 lenders said, late Thursday.

The lenders would also explore other options if the stake sale process does not result in an acceptable outcome, the release said.

The struggling airline, saddled with a debt of over one billion U.S. dollars, prior to the debt restructuring proposal by the lenders, is currently operating 26 aircraft down from its fleet of 119 aircraft.

DHAKA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- A state-owned Chinese company on Thursday signed an agreement for improvement of Elenga-Hatikamrul-Rangpur Road to a 4-Lane highway in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

China Construction Seventh Engineering Division Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited, signed the official contract with the Bangladeshi government's Roads and Highways Department here.

Raipur, Apr 4; PTI/GANASHAKTI:  Four Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were killed in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh Thursday, police said.

Two other personnel were injured in the encounter, which took place in Kanker district, police said.

New Delhi, April 4 (PTI) The Supreme Court Thursday agreed to hear on April 8 a Congress leader's plea seeking stay on release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A bench headed by Justice S A Bobde said it will hear the plea on Monday.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for petitioner advocate Aman Panwar, spokesperson of the Congress, said two high courts have refused to interfere with the release of the movie starring Vivek Oberoi.

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) The country's services sector activity eased in March with slowest pace of output growth in six-months due to a slower expansion in new work, leading to weakest rate of hiring since last September, a monthly survey showed Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted Nikkei India Services Business Activity Index fell to 52 in March from 52.5 in February, indicating the slowest expansion since last September.

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) The BJP has topped the chart of political advertisers on Google with an advertisement spent share of around 32 per cent, while its rival Congress is ranked sixth with a meagre 0.14 per cent share.

Political parties and their affiliates have spent Rs 3.76 crore on advertisements since February 19, 2019, according to the internet giant's Indian Transparency Report released Thursday.

New Delhi, April 4(PTI) The Congress and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have resumed talks to discuss the seat sharing formula for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, sources said on Thursday.

The speculation of a tie-up between both the parties got a boost with AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh meeting All India Congress Committee (AICC) incharge of Delhi PC Chacko on Wednesday evening.

Dimapur (Nagaland), Apr 3 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday gave his commitment to help resolve the decades-long Naga political problem if the party forms government at the Centre after the election.

It is a complex issue involving multiple stakeholders and talks would be held with all of them to find out a solution, Gandhi said addressing a poll meeting here.

New Delhi Apr 3 (PTI) The Election Commission is unlikely to prevent the release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and may leave it to the CBFC to take a call on the issue, poll panel sources said Wednesday.

Opposition parties including the Congress, had alleged the film will give undue advantage to the BJP in electioneering and its release should be deferred till the elections are over.

Muzaffarnagar, Apr 4 (PTI) A six-year-old boy was allegedly sodomised by a youth in a village here, police said Thursday.

The boy's family lodged a complaint at the Bhopa police station on Wednesday and a case has been registered, Station House Officer MS Gill said.

The accused is suspected to be a juvenile. His age has not been ascertained yet and he is at large, he said.

The victim was sent for medical examination on Wednesday.