Indian Sub-continent

Kanpur: The firefighters have brought the leaping fire under nearly absolute control, after five days of their relentless effort, in a garments complex in the Bans Mandi area here. 

At least 50 teams of the fire department were put into service to control the blaze, which broke out on Friday, officials said.

They added that a team from State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force was also pressed into service to extinguish the fiery flames.

Islamabad, Apr 4 (PTI) Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday termed as "unconstitutional" the election body's decision to postpone polls in Punjab till October 8 and fixed May 14 as the date for polls in the province, in a major blow to the federal government that has been trying to delay the election citing security issues and the economic crisis.

New Delhi/Washington, Apr 4 (PTI) The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank on Tuesday projected moderation in the Indian economic growth between 6.3 per cent and 6.4 per cent due to a slowdown in consumption and challenging external conditions.

The World Bank in its latest 'India Development Update' (IDU) slashed the GDP forecast to 6.3 per cent against the earlier estimate of 6.6 per cent in 2023-24 (FY24).

Gangtok, Apr 4 (PTI) Seven tourists were killed as a massive avalanche hit East Sikkim's Nathu La area on Tuesday morning, burying their vehicles under the snow, officials said.

The avalanche hit the arterial Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, which connects state capital Gangtok to Nathu La at the China border, around 11.30 am, trapping five-six vehicles with around 30 people under the snow, the Army said.

DHAKA, Apr 4 (NNN-BSS) – A massive fire broke out in a market, at a residential neighbourhood of the old part of Bangladesh’s capital, this morning, with no death reported so far.

Brigadier General, Md Main Uddin, director general of the department of fire service and civil defence, said that, 41 fire engines were fighting the fire in one of the city’s largest Bangabazar markets.

The fire, spreading to at least six nearby markets, was sending thick black smoke into the air visible at least several kilometres away.

ISLAMABAD, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan will vaccinate over 4 million children under the age of five against the incurable polio virus in the second phase of an anti-polio drive in two provinces of Pakistan, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.

More than 4.12 million children will be vaccinated in the immunization campaign that began on Monday in 12 districts of southwest Balochistan and 26 districts of northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of the country, a spokesperson for the ministry said.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An overnight raid by Taliban forces in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province killed six members of the extremist Islamic State group, a Taliban spokesman said Tuesday.

The regional affiliate of the IS group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — has been the key rival of the Taliban since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The militant group has increased its attacks, targeting both Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority.

Lahore, Apr 3 (PTI) In a fresh attack on Pakistan's powerful military, ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said the country is left with two choices -- either follow Turkiye or become another Myanmar.

In Myanmar, the military ousted democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 while in Turkiye, a bloody military coup to topple the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016 was foiled after people came out on the streets and resisted a regime change.

Ranchi, Apr 3 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday said democracy in the country is under threat, and hit out at the Centre over its alleged "divide and rule" policy.

He alleged both democracy and economy were at the verge of collapse due to the Centre's wrong policies.

Addressing the maiden national conference of the DMK-sponsored All India Federation for Social Justice through video conferencing, Soren said the opposition unity was to protect the rights of ST, SC, minorities, OBC and women.

New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) A special court on Monday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till April 17 in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.

Special Judge M K Nagpal, who had dismissed Sisodia’s bail application on Friday saying he was "prima facie the architect" and played the "most important and vital role" in the alleged scam, extended his custody after he was produced before the court. Sisodia's judicial custody was to expire on Monday.