Today's Top Stories
Indians stranded abroad to be brought back today, two flights from UAE to land in Kerala
As India gears up to evacuate lakhs of stranded citizens in various countries by employing aircraft, military planes and naval warships, beginning today, the central government has said that those in distress and in dire need of evacuation on emergency grounds will be given priority over others. The first two flights from the UAE to India will be to Kochi and Kozhikode, considering the diaspora from Kerala witnessed a high number of applicants. For air travel, non-scheduled commercial flights will be arranged and this facility would be made available on a payment basis, said the government.
Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo killed in encounter in J&K’s Pulwama
Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo, on the run for eight years, was on Wednesday killed in an encounter with security forces in his home village in Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir authorities have already snapped mobile internet services across the Valley as a precautionary measure in anticipation of a possible law and order problem, said the police, adding strict restrictions have been imposed on the movement of people.
In Other News
Daily tally: The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases crossed 52,000 with many security personnel testing positive. According to Health Ministry data, the death toll stands at 1,694 and the number of cases at 49,391, with an increase of 126 deaths and 2,958 cases in the last 24 hours.
‘Medieval barbarism’?: After a meeting between Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and property builders, the state government cancelled all trains that were to send stranded migrant workers back to their hometowns, saying, business, construction work and industrial activities have to be resumed. The Opposition accused the government of indulging in "medieval barbarism" and treating migrants like "bonded labourers"
Ahmedabad shuttered: To control the spread of coronavirus in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, civic authorities ordered the closure of all the shops except those selling milk and medicines from May 7 midnight till 6 am on May 15, triggering panic buying of grocery items and vegetables by citizens.
Worrying numbers: The Centre expressed its dismay over the situation in West Bengal, saying that district authorities were poorly supervising as people were found to be playing cricket and football in Howrah and Kolkata. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that mortality rate at 13.2 per cent in Bengal was the highest in the country for any state.
Bois locker room: Two days after an FIR was registered against an Instagram group for sharing obscene messages and morphed pictures of underage girls, the Delhi Police arrested its group admin. The arrested group admin is a student of a school in Noida and had appeared for his class 12 examination this year.
On Our Specials
Understanding addiction: Millions have been flocking to liquor stores with little regard for social distancing since Monday as the Centre allowed standalone shops to open to help states collect revenue from the sales. For many, it is a way to get over withdrawal that may result in restlessness, higher blood pressure, insomnia, headache, nausea, vomiting, palpitation, tremors and decreased appetite. Rounak Kumar Gunjan explains why Indians don't care about COVID-19, hefty cess or long queues when buying alcohol.
Stretched thin: The Centre is mulling the quantum and contours of fiscal stimulus to revive the moribund economy. Indications point to a measly package, as and when it comes, despite economists seeking a package worth at least 3-4 per cent of the GDP. Sindhu Bhattacharya writes that in such a grim scenario, state governments which are in a comparatively better fiscal position may need to shoulder a disproportionate share of spending to revive the economy and stave off mass scale hunger.
On Reel
The Delhi government on Wednesday ordered release of 4,000 Tablighi members who have completed their required quarantine period in centres in the national capital, sources said. Watch to know more.
Comments
0 comment