HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1:30 pm: NATION: DEL4 VIRUS-CASES Death toll due to COVID-19 rises to 2,415; cases climb to 74,281: Health Ministry New Delhi: The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,415 and the number of cases climbed to 74,281 on Wednesday, registering an increase of 122 deaths and 3,525 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. CAL3 NL-MIGRANT-ASSISTANCE COVID-19: Nagaland to give Rs 10,000 to stranded persons opting not to return at present Kohima: Grappling with issues such as insufficient quarantine facilities and no COVID-19 testing centre, the Nagaland government has decided to give a one-time assistance of Rs 10,000 each to migrants stranded in others states if they choose not to return at the moment, a senior official said on Wednesday.

DEL27 AVI-LOCKDOWN-VANDE BHARAT 30,000 Indians will return from 31 countries on 149 flights under phase 2 of Vande Bharat Mission: Puri New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that 30,000 Indians will return from 31 countries on 149 flights between May 16 and 22, the duration for the second phase of the Vande Bharat Mission. DEL16 CG-CM-INTERVIEW Echoing Mamata's views, Chhattisgarh CM accuses PM of taking unilateral decisions New Delhi: Lending a strong voice of support to Mamata Banerjee who charged the Centre with discrimination, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that leaking of central action and communications to the media ahead of informing states tantamounts to undermining their power. By Ashwini Shrivastava DEL19 DL-TRAIN-LD PASSENGERS With no transport available for onward journeys, scores left stranded on roads outside New Delhi station New Delhi: Scores of people, who arrived here on the first batch of trains since the partial resumption of railway services amid a lockdown, were on Wednesday left stranded on the roads outside the railway station with no transport available for onward journeys. By Gaurav Saini DEL18 VIRUS-COLLEGES-SALARY AICTE directs pvt engineering colleges, tech institutes to pay salaries to faculty on time New Delhi: The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has directed private engineering colleges and other technical institutions to pay salaries to their faculty and staff on time during the COVID-19 lockdown. DEL25 DL-LOCKDOWN-TRAIN-INSIDE SCENE Passengers crowded pantry to buy food and water disregarding social distancing norms, says traveller on Ahmedabad-New Delhi train New Delhi: There was complete disregard for physical distancing rules on the first train that reached New Delhi from Ahmedabad on Wednesday since the resumption of railway services as passengers crowded the pantry to buy dry food and water bottles during dinner time, according to a traveller. By Laxmi Devi LEGAL LGD2 SC-SAJJAN SC declines interim bail to Sajjan Kumar serving life term in anti-Sikh riot case New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to grant interim bail on medical grounds to former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar who is serving life imprisonment in an 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

LGD1 VIRUS-DL-HC-BAIL HC grants interim bail to man facing extradition to UK in attempted rape case New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted 45-day interim bail to a man facing extradition to Scotland for standing trial in a attempted rape case there. FOREIGN FGN16 VIRUS-PAK Pakistan reports 2,000 new COVID-19 cases Islamabad: Pakistan has reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases, taking the number of infections to over 34,000, while 31 more people have succumbed to the coronavirus, health officials said on Saturday, amidst the easing of lockdown restrictions. By Sajjad Hussain FGN13 UN-GUTERRES-AFGHAN-ATTACK UN chief strongly condemns 'horrific' attack on maternity hospital in Afghanistan United Nations: UN chief Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the "horrific" attack on a maternity hospital in Afghanistan that killed at least 14 people, including two newborn babies, saying that those who carry out such “unacceptable” crimes must be held accountable. By Yoshita Singh PTI SMN SMN SMN