Indian Sub-continent

KABUL, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Taliban military chief on Saturday ordered Taliban members to avoid aerial gun firing after two people were killed and 10 wounded on Friday night in Kabul, a Taliban media official confirmed.

Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, military chief of Taliban movement, have instructed all provincial governors and police chiefs to strictly control and avoid aerial firing, Ahmadullah Muttaqi, chief of Multimedia Branch of Taliban's Cultural Commission said in a statement.

DHAKA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- "The United States and a fistful of its allies are trying to mislead the world," an op-ed article by the leading English newspaper Bangladesh Post said recently.

"On August 27, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of the U.S. released a summary of the intelligence community assessment on COVID-19 origins, which is the latest example of America's above sinister intentions," it said.

New Delhi, Sep 4 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the alleged manipulation of JEE Mains examination after the CBI arrested seven persons in this connection.

The Congress also demanded answers from the BJP government, saying the Education Ministry and the National Testing Agency (NTA) are responsible for conducting examinations in a transparent manner and why they are not held accountable.

The party's students wing, NSUI, also announced protests across the country on Monday on the issue.

Kanpur: A video of Kanpur Commissioner Dr Raj Shekhar is viral on social media. In this video, the divisional commissioner is seen boarding a government bus like a normal passenger. His surprising raid on two different routes appeared sufficient to know the functionality of the city buses.

The condition of the buses was no longer good but what irritated him most was the non-execution of Covid guidelines in these buses. What to say of the passengers even the conductors and drivers were not adhering to the norm of wearing a face mask. 

Colombo, Sep 4 (PTI) India has sent about 150 tonnes more oxygen to Sri Lanka to help the island nation combat the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka on Friday extended its nationwide lockdown till September 13 amidst a surge in the number of COVID-19 deaths and mounting pressure on the healthcare system.

Lifeline from India to Sri Lanka close to 150 tonnes of oxygen from Vizag and Chennai reached the shores of Colombo," the Indian High Commission in Colombo tweeted on Saturday.

Srinagar, Sep 4 (PTI) Restrictions on assembly of people remained in force in most parts of Kashmir Valley after the death of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani while mobile Internet services were suspended on Saturday morning after being restored the previous night, officials said.

Geelani, 91, died at his home in Srinagar on Wednesday night after a prolonged illness. The pro-Pakistan separatist leader, who spearheaded separatist politics for over three decades in Jammu and Kashmir, was buried at a mosque near his residence.

Barabanki (UP), Sep 3 (PTI) A BJP leader here has been booked for allegedly duping a woman of Rs 1.75 lakh on the pretext of helping her son get a job in a school, police said on Friday.

The matter came to light after a video of the woman, Piyara Devi, a resident of Ruknapur under Loni Katra police station area here, confronting Uttam Verma, president of the BJP's Trideviganj division, went viral on social media.

Verma, however, termed the incident a "political conspiracy".

Chennai, Sep 3 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday urged the Centre to "reconsider" its decision to "privatise" Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), saying they play a key role in the country's industrialisation and self-reliance goals.

The chief minister's missive to Modi came a day after he informed the Tamil Nadu Assembly that he will write to the PM on the matter.

An official release, quoting from Stalin's communication, stated he told Modi that to establish such units, people's lands, besides those ofthe government, had also been allotted.

Kanpur: Nothing irks the vehicle drivers on the road as the e-rickshaws waiting for the passengers do not care a fig for the wrong parking. They surround the space in such a way as others find it difficult to move on.

Such an annoying scene almost occurs every morning and evening on the congested Nai Chungi crossing in the Jajmau area here.

All four sides of the road remain stuffed with e-vehicle and other vehicles during the rush hours. People driving their scooty, bikes or motors prefer the way in lesser rush hours. Noontime remains better to avoid congestion.

NEW DELHI, Sept 3 (NNN-PTI) — With 45,352 people testing positive for coronavirus, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 32,903,289, while active cases registered an increase for the third consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.     

The death toll climbed to 439,895 with 366 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.