BEGUSARAI: Actress Shabana Azmi charged the BJP on Thursday with playing "communal politics" to divert public attention from its failure in providing jobs, security to women and fulfilling other promises it had made during the last general election.

TASS, April 28. Iran is considering plans of leaving the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as one of the options of responding to tightening US sanctions against the Islamic republic, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told state television, according to the Mehr news agency.

"The Islamic Republic’s choices are numerous, and the officials are studying them…leaving NPT is one of them," Zarif said on Sunday.

Washington restored sanctions against Iran, including the ban on oil purchases, in November 2018.

Jodhpur, Apr 28 (PTI) Not long ago, Pakistani Hindus living in Jodhpur held little political sway. However, as time passed and they grew in numbers, the community has emerged as an important vote bank, with manifestos of political parties promising to fulfill their basic needs like water and electricity.

According to Hindu Singh Soda, who runs a charity here for Pakistani Hindus, around 20,000 members of the community in Jodhpur are eligible to vote.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) Campaigning for the fourth phase of polling scheduled for April 29 in 72 parliamentary constituencies across nine states ended Saturday after days of hectic canvassing as leaders made energetic efforts to garner votes.

Polling will be held in 17 seats in Maharashtra, 13 each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, six each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand and a part of the Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

28 Apr 2019; DW: Sudan's army rulers and opposition have reached a breakthrough in talks to form a joint civilian-military council. Thousands of protesters remain camped out in Khartoum calling for a transition to civilian rule.

Sudan's army rulers and an opposition coalition agreed on Saturday to form a joint civilian-military council to lead the country's transition following three decades of autocratic rule by President Omar al-Bashir, according to several unnamed sources.

PARIS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Two days after French President Emmanuel Macron offered additional concessions worth billions of euros, thousands of "yellow vests" marched across French cities on Saturday for the 24th weekend in a row, though with noticeable fatigue.

The protest drew 23,600 participants countrywide, of which 2,600 were in the capital Paris, the second lowest turnout since the movement started five months ago, Interior Ministry estimated.

Last Saturday, 27,900 people took to the streets across the country, including 9,000 in the capital.

28 Apr 2019; AFP: French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi on Friday said the European Medicines Agency had conditionally approved its anti-cancer drug Libtayo, the first drug of its kind to be authorised for use in the EU.

The tumour-reducing drug is aimed at patients with the second most common form of skin cancer -- cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) -- whose cancer is advanced, and who are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy.

Shirdi (Maha), Apr 27 (PTI) Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari fainted on stage Saturday evening during an election rally near Shirdi in Maharashtra.

He soon recovered and later walked to his car.

Gadkari was campaigning at Rahata near here for Shiv Sena candidate from Shirdi Lok Sabha seat Sadashiv Lokhande.

After finishing his speech, Gadkari fainted while walking back to his seat on the stage.

MOSCOW, April 28. /TASS/. Jesus Christ’s love for all humanity should become an example for all Orthodox believers, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said in his traditional Easter address.

"I would like to address everyone who rejoices at Easter. If your heart is enlightened with Easter light, become lamps for those who surround you. Let your lips profess the reality of resurrection. Embrace with your love those who are beside you and offer them your care and attention," the patriarch said.

Mumbai, Apr 27 (PTI) A senior technician with Jet Airways allegedly committed suicide in Maharashtra's Palghar district due to depression as he was suffering from cancer, police said Saturday.

Shailesh Singh (45) jumped off the terrace of his four-storeyed building in Nalasopara East on Friday afternoon, an official said.

As per functionaries of Jet Airways Staff and Employees Association, however, Singh was facing "financial constraints" as employees of the grounded airline have not got salaries for a long time.

27 Apr 2019; DW: Christian Lindner was reelected as head of Germany's liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) at a delegates' convention in Berlin on Friday.

Lindner won 86.64% of the delegates' votes, down from the 91% that he received when he was first elected as the party leader in 2013.

GABORONE, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Botswana has partnered with the World Bank to develop a renewable energy strategy that would allow the country to be more independent on energy supplies, said President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Saturday.

He made the remarks at an event of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party in the capital Gaborone.