HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL116 LDALL VIRUS Confirmed COVID-19 cases up by a record; Govt says outbreak under control New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) Nationwide cases of confirmed coronavirus infections rose on Friday by over 1,750 -- the maximum for a day -- to nearly 23,500 with several states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat detecting new patients, even as the government said the outbreak is under control and the tally could have reached one lakh by now without a nationwide lockdown. DEL36 VIRUS-PM-LD GRAM PANCHAYATS PM says self-reliance biggest lesson from pandemic, hails 'Do Gaz Ki Doori' mantra to combat virus New Delhi: Applauding people for their grit in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, PM Narendra Modi on Friday said the biggest lesson the pandemic has taught India is to become self-reliant and complimented rural India for defining social distancing in simpler words, 'Do Gaz Ki Doori', to make people understand its importance. DEL126 VIRUS-LD MHA COVID-19 situation "especially serious" in Ahmedabad, Surat, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thane:Centre, teams rushed New Delhi: The COVID-19 situation is “especially serious” in major or emerging hotspots like Ahmedabad, Surat, Hyderabad, Chennai and Thane, the Centre said on Friday, as it rushed inter-ministerial central teams(IMCT) to monitor the situation in these cities.

DEL110 DEF-RAJNATH-2NDLD MILITARY Do not allow adversaries to take advantage of India's focus on COVID-19: Rajnath to military New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military brass to ensure that India's adversaries do not get any opportunity to push their "evil design" by taking advantage of the country's focus on fighting the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. DEL80 LOCKDOWN-PAR PANEL-WAGES Industries cannot be forced to pay wages during lockdown: Chief of par panel on labour New Delhi: Industries cannot be forced to pay wages to their employees during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who chairs the parliamentary panel on labour, said on Monday.

DEL118 LOCKDOWN-LD MONTH India's one month of lockdown: Experts feel it helped in preventing 'US or Europe-like' situation but say bigger challenge awaits New Delhi: As India completes a month under lockdown that brought the world's most populous democracy to a virtual standstill, with no or very minimal social and economic activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, several medical experts feel that these restrictions were crucial in preventing a "US or Europe-like" situation from materialising in the country. By Asim Kamal DEL109 VIRUS-2NDLD CONG Freezing DA inhumane; govt should instead shelve bullet train, Central Vista projects: Cong New Delhi: Terming "insensitive and inhumane" the freeze on dearness allowance, the Congress on Friday said instead of "hurting" the middle-class employees and pensioners, the government should cut down its wasteful expenses and shelve the bullet train and Central Vista redevelopment projects to save money for the fight against coronavirus. CAL18 WB-VIRUS-LD TEAM Central team seeks interaction with Bengal's COVID-19 death audit committee Kolkata: The central team visiting Kolkata to assess the COVID-19 situation wrote to the West Bengal government on Friday seeking a detailed report on functioning of the coronavirus death audit committee and a meeting with its members, and expressed displeasure at the arrangements in hospitals and quarantine centres.

DEL121 RAMZAN Ramzan moon sighted, Muslims to begin month of fasting from Saturday amid coronavirus pandemic New Delhi: Ramzan, the Islamic month of prayers and fasting, will begin from Saturday in India amid a lockdown in force due to the coronavirus pandemic. LEGAL LGD17 SC-RULE-INTELLIGENCE-EMPLOYMENT Non-hostile working environment basic limb of dignified employment, says SC New Delhi: “Non-­hostile working environment is the basic limb of a dignified employment” and the law on sexual harassment should not only confine to commission of actual offence but also cover the day-to-day “prejudice” and discrimination suffered by women, the Supreme Court said on Friday.

LGD18 SC-2NDLD ARNAB SC protects for three weeks journalist Arnab Goswami from any coercive action New Delhi: In a relief to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, the SC on Friday protected him for three weeks from any coercive action in FIR lodged against him for making alleged defamatory statements against Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi he made in the news shows on the recent Palghar mob-lynching of three persons including two sadhus. FOREIGN FGN40 VIRUS-TRUMP-LD DISINFECTANT Trump now suggests injecting disinfectants, bringing UV light 'inside the body' to kill coronavirus Washington: President Trump has suggested the possibility of studying injecting disinfectants into COVID-19 patients or bringing UV light "inside" their bodies to kill the deadly virus, drawing immediate flak from health experts while a leading disinfectant producer urged people not to listen to such dangerous speculation.

FGN23 VIRUS-US-POMPEO-CHINA China 'will pay a price' for causing 'huge challenge' for global economy, says Pompeo Washington: Blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it has caused a "huge challenge" for the global as well as the US economy by not sharing the information they had and the ruling Communist Party "will pay a price" for it. By Lalit K Jha..