Kolkata, Oct 26 (PTI) Following are the top stories of the Eastern Region at 5 pm. CAL 1 AS-VIRUS-RESTRICTIONS Assam eases COVID restrictions as situation improves Guwahati: Assam eased COVID-related restrictions on Tuesday, limiting the night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am, in view of the improvement of the situation in the state, officials said. CAL 2 LALU-CONGRESS-CHHUTBHAIYA Lalu blames "chhutbhaiya" leaders for spat with Congress Patna: After riding roughshod over the Congress, his junior alliance partner in Bihar, RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday sought to conceal his iron fist in velvet gloves, saying he still considers the grand old party "the national alternative". CAL 3 AS-BYPOLL-BJP-SUSHANTA Assam bypoll: BJP"s candidate Borgohain"s assets up by 13% in six months Sivasagar: The value of assets owned by BJP candidate for Assam"s Thowra constituency in the upcoming bypoll, Sushanta Borgohain, who switched from Congress to the ruling party, have increased by nearly 13 per cent within just six months. CAL 4 WB-MUKHERJEE Bengal minister Subrata Mukherjee"s health condition improves Kolkata: The condition of senior West Bengal minister Subrata Mukherjee improved "slightly" on Tuesday, a doctor treating him said. CAL 5 AS-FLIGHT-SCINDIA Scindia flags off first Dibrugarh-Shillong direct flight Dibrugarh: The first direct flight on the Shillong-Dibrugarh route, under the Centre"s Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN), was on Tuesday virtually flagged off by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia. CES 2 AS-DRUGS Heroin worth Rs 8 crore seized in Assam, 2 arrested Diphu/Nagaon: Heroin worth Rs 8 crore was seized in Assam"s Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts with one of the suspected drug peddlers injured in exchange of fire with the police, officials said on Tuesday. CES 7 JH-ELEPHANTS Elephant herd blocks highway to Rajrappa temple, devotees camp on road Ramgarh: A herd of elephants blocked the highway to the famed Rajrappa temple in Jharkhand"s Ramgarh district on Tuesday, triggering panic among devotees who camped on the road for hours, officials said. CES 8 WB-TIGER Tiger kills 21-year-old man in West Bengal Namkhana: A 21-year-old man was killed by a tiger in West Bengal"s South 24 Parganas district, police said on Tuesday. PTI RG RG