U.K. PM Boris Johnson calls off trip, expresses sympathy for India’s COVID-19 crisis
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday cancelled his visit to India, due on April 25-26, “in view of the prevailing COVID situation”, both governments announced. The decision was taken after weeks of discussions over how to proceed with the visit despite the pandemic, and last week officials had said he would cut short the duration and limit his travel to Delhi. With no let-up in the surge of cases in India, however, officials in London and Delhi decided by “mutual agreement” to call off the trip.
No difference in mortality in COVID-19 'first' and 'second wave': ICMR
There was no difference in mortality among COVID-19 patients in the first and second wave, leading doctors, who are in charge of India's national COVID-19 management strategy have said. There was a relative increase in instances of those manifesting shortness of breath as a symptom of COVID-19 but those over 60 years — like in the first wave — continued to be most at risk from dying.
Delhi under six-day “total curfew” starting tonight: Kejriwal
The Capital would be placed under a six-day “total curfew” starting Monday night till early next Monday morning, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced here. The announcement came after Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and Mr. Kejriwal met to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the city where both agreed that the city’s health system had “reached its limit.”
Manmohan Singh’s letter to PM: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan hits back at Cong.
A day after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ramp up vaccination efforts, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan alleged that the statements by Congress leaders were behind “vaccine hesitancy” in the country and accused Congress-ruled States to be “big contributors” in the second wave.
Urge EC with folded hands to curtail poll schedule amid COVID-19 surge: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Election Commission to re-consider its decision to stick to the original poll schedule, as she stressed that wrapping up the last three phases of polls on a single day or at least in two days would check the spread of COVID-19 to a certain extent.
Allocation of Remdesivir has to be need-based: Bombay High Court to Centre, Maharashtra government
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday said the distribution of Remdesivir injections has to be on the basis of need and asked the Centre and the Maharashtra government what parameters are followed while allocating the drug to various States and districts.
Muttiah Muralitharan discharged after undergoing angioplasty
Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan was discharged on Monday after undergoing a coronary angioplasty at a hospital in Chennai. The 49-year-old former spinner, who is part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad support staff in the ongoing IPL, went for the planned procedure on Sunday.
Dilhara Lokuhettige banned for eight years under ICC Anti-Corruption code
Former Sri Lanka cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige was on Monday banned from all cricket for eight years after being found guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
Radical Islamist party frees 11 Pakistani police hostages
An outlawed Pakistani Islamist political group freed 11 policemen almost a day after taking them hostage in the eastern city of Lahore amid violent clashes with security forces, the country’s Interior Minister said on April 19.
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to be moved to a hospital
The Russian state penitentiary service said on Monday a decision has been made to transfer imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is in the third week of a hunger strike, to a hospital.
Navy seizes narcotics worth ₹3,000 crore from fishing vessel
The Indian Navy has seized narcotics worth ₹3,000 crore from a fishing vessel, suspected to be of foreign origin, in the Arabian sea, a Defence spokesman said here on Monday. He said that Indian Naval Ship 'Suvarna' whilst on surveillance patrol in the Arabian Sea, encountered the fishing vessel moving around in a suspicious manner.