Breaking News, April 4

France on Sunday condoled the death of 22 security personnel in a gunbattle with Naxals in the jungles of Chhattisgarh.

"Heartfelt condolences for the losses suffered by the security personnel in #Chhattisgarh. Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims and to the injured, for whom we wish a speedy recovery," French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain said on Twitter.

"France stands with India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms," he said.

Election campaigning for the third and last phase of the Assam election ends.

The Maharashtra government on Sunday announced a weekend lockdown in the state from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday in a bid to curb the growing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state. Apart from the weekend lockdown, strict restrictions will be in force from Monday 8 pm onwards, Minority Affairs Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Landslides and flash floods from torrential rains in eastern Indonesia killed at least 44 people and displaced thousands, a disaster relief agency said Sunday. Several others were still missing.

Assam Government has fixed the maximum price for RT-PCR COVID19 test at laboratories at Rs 500 and Rs 700 for RT-PCR samples collected from home. Rapid antigen test to be done at Rs 250. 

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari addresses a press conference in Kolkata. 

Fire breaks out at Bairagi Camp in the Kumbh Mela area in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, 10 fire tenders present at the spot. 

DMK's Udhayanidhi Stalin campaigns in Mylapore Assembly constituency, Chennai, ahead of Tamil Nadu elections on April 6. 

DMK president MK Stalin campaign in Chennai's Perambur area in support of the party's Harbour Assembly seat candidate Sekar Babu.

4 persons and 7 animals died in a fire that broke out in 62 hectares of Uttarakhand's forest area in the last 24 hours. "12,000 guards and fire watchers of state forest dept deployed to douse the fire. Fire destroyed property worth Rs 37 lakhs so far," said Principal Chief Conservator

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu took the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. 

CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh reached Chhattisgarh today morning to look after operational work and take stock of the situation. Out of 21 missing security personnel, 7 are from CRPF.

Rs 1.3 crores and Rs 1.23 crores in cash seized from Saidapet and Thousand Lights Assembly constituencies respectively in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Four people with cash and voters list apprehended at Kanchipuram. 312 liquor bottles seized from Thoothukudi town. 

Mortal remains of a jawan of CRPF's CoBRA battalion who lost his life in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma yesterday brought to Jagdalpur.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, "I bow to sacrifices of our brave security personnel martyred while fighting Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Nation will never forget their valour. My condolences are with their families. We will continue our fight against these enemies of peace and progress."

Anannyah Kumari Alex, the first transgender candidate in Kerala Assembly elections withdrew her candidature from the poll race. She said, "I'm backing out as I'm facing stigma, gender discrimination, and sexual harassment from Democratic Social Justice Party. They're trying to play with me to get publicity."

The US State Department on Saturday said that Jordan’s monarch King Abdullah II is a "key partner" of the US and "has our full support" amid reports that his half-brother Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein had been questioned - possibly in relation to an alleged plot to destabilize the country.