HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 5 pm: NATION DEL75 LOCKDOWN-3RDLD GUIDELINES Fresh lockdown directives: Industrial units in rural areas to function from Apr 20 New Delhi: Industrial units in rural areas will be allowed to function from April 20 provided they follow social distancing norms while all kinds of public transport will be barred and public places closed till May 3, according to guidelines issued on Wednesday to enforce the second phase of the lockdown. DEL7 VIRUS-CASES Coronavirus death toll rises to 377 New Delhi: The death toll due to coronavirus rose to 377 while the number of the cases in the country climbed to 11,439 on Wednesday, according to the Union Health Ministry.

DEL72 LOCKDOWN-MHA-LETTER Ensure strict compliance of lockdown guidelines: Home secy tells states, UTs New Delhi: The Home Ministry has asked all states and union territories to ensure strict implementation of lockdown guidelines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, failing which relaxations, which are likely to be announced on April 20, to mitigate hardships would be withdrawn. DEL73 VIRUS-CONG-MOILY 'Universal testing' needed; PM not giving assurances on key aspects of COVID-19 fight: Moily New Delhi: The need of the hour is "universal testing" for COVID-19 and providing personal protection equipment along with testing kits, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said on Wednesday, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not given assurances on key aspects of the fight against the pandemic.

DEL55 VIRUS-CONG-MAHA Migrant gathering at Bandra attempt to disrupt communal harmony in Maharashtra: Congress New Delhi: Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday demanded a thorough probe into Tuesday's gathering of migrants at Mumbai's Bandra railway station and said it was an attempt to disrupt communal harmony and negate the state's efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak. DEL26 RAHUL-WORKERS MIDEAST Rahul Gandhi asks govt to bring back Indian workers stuck in Middle East New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged the government to organise flights to bring back Indian workers stuck in the Middle East and desperate to return.

CAL9 WB-LOCKDOWN-LD GUV Mamata s officials failing to enforce lockdown be shown the door: Governor Kolkata: Unhappy over the way the lockdown is being enforced in West Bengal, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday the police and administrative officials not following the protocol be shown the door and depoloyment of central paramilitary forces be considered BOM26 MH-LOCKDOWN-2NDLD MIGRANTS Day after protest, cops arrest man over posts, book TV scribe Mumbai: Left red-faced after a protest by migrant workers during lockdown, authorities in Maharashtra moved to take action in the matter as they arrested a man on Wednesday for offensive social media posts and registered an FIR against a TV journalist over a false news report. BOM14 MP-VIRUS-LD GAS TRAGEDY VICTIMS All 5 who died of COVID-19 in Bhopal were gas tragedy victims Bhopal: All five persons who died due to coronavirus in Bhopal were victims of the 1984 gas tragedy in the Madhya Pradesh capital, an official said on Wednesday.

LEGAL LGD3 VIRUS-SC-SANITATION WORKERS Provided protective kits to sanitation workers, WHO guidelines followed: Centre to SC New Delhi: The Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that sanitation workers in the country have been provided with requisite protective kits and the authorities are following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the coronavirus pandemic. LGD6 VIRUS-SC-RELIEFS SC considers Centre's stand of helping poor during lockdown, disposes PIL on it New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took note of the Centre's submission that it was taking steps to implement relief measures to help needy people during nation-wide lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic and disposed of a PIL seeking reliefs such as financial help and food for poor persons.

BUSINESS DEL57 BIZ-LD WPI-INFLATION WPI inflation cools to four-month low of 1 pc in March as food prices ease New Delhi: Wholesale price inflation eased to a four-month low of one per cent in March on sharp fall in prices of food and fuel items as demand slowed. DEL82 BIZ-RATULPURI-SWISS ACCOUNTS India seeks Swiss bank details of Ratul Puri, his father & offshore cos; Switzerland issues notices New Delhi/Berne: Switzerland's tax authorities on Wednesday issued public notices for Indian businessman Ratul Puri, his father and two offshore firms linked to them after India sought details of their Swiss bank accounts for allegedly having illicit funds.

FOREIGN: FGN30 VIRUS-TRUMP-LD INDIANS Trump names six Indian-Americans to Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups Washington: President Donald Trump has roped in six Indian-American corporate leaders, including Sunder Pichai from Google and Satya Nadella from Microsoft, to seek advice from the "brightest" and the "smartest" people on how to restart US economy that has been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. By Lalit K Jha FGN62 VIRUS-CHINA-US-2NDLD WHO China slams Trump for withdrawing funding for WHO; hints at stepping up its contribution Beijing: China on Wednesday expressed "serious concern" over US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend funding for the World Health Organisation and hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency. By K J M Varma..