HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 9.30 pm: DEL129 LDALL VIRUS COVID-19 tally crosses 75,000; Govt unveils Rs 6-lakh cr first dose of 'corona package' New Delhi: The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases crossed 75,000 on Wednesday with several large urban clusters reporting further spread of the deadly virus infection, while the government unveiled measures amounting to about Rs 6 lakh crore in easy loans, additional liquidity and other incentives to help businesses fight the crisis. DEL100 BIZ-VIRUS-LDALL PACKAGE Govt announces Rs 3 lakh cr collateral-free loans for small business; liquidity for NBFCs New Delhi: The government on Wednesday announced about Rs 6 lakh crore package, including Rs 3 lakh crore of collateral-free loans for small businesses and a Rs 30,000 crore lifeline to non-bank and housing finance companies as part of measures to help the economy tide over disruptions caused by the coronavirus lockdown.

DEL127 VIRUS-PMCARES PMCARES Fund to allocate Rs 2000 crore for purchasing ventilators, 1000 cr for migrants New Delhi: The PM CARES Fund Trust on Wednesday decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for fight against COVID-19, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. DEL130 VIRUS-LD HEALTH MINISTRY No new COVID-19 cases in 9 states, UTs in last 24 hrs; rate of doubling of cases 12.6 days: Vardhan New Delhi: Nine states and union territories have not reported any new COVID-19 patients in the last 24 hours and the rate of doubling of cases has increased to 12.6 days, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Wednesday, even as the death toll due to the novel coronavirus rose to 2,415 and cases climbed to 74,281.

DEL108 MEA-INDIA-SCO Collective action needed to deal with terrorism: India at SCO New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday strongly pitched for "collective action" by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in dealing with the overwhelming threat of terrorism. DEL93 AVI-LOCKDOWN-LD VANDE BHARAT 30,000 Indians will return from abroad on 149 flights under phase 2 of Vande Bharat Mission: Puri New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said 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.

DEL131 PACKAGE-LD REAX Opp slams Centre's first tranche of Rs 20 lakh crore package as 'big zero'; BJP says measures reflect govt's commitment to create jobs New Delhi: The Opposition slammed the Centre's announcement on the first tranche of Rs 20 lakh crore COVID-19 economic stimulus package on Wednesday as a "disappointment" and a "big zero" that has "nothing" for migrant workers, even as the BJP hailed it, saying it reflected the government's commitment towards creating jobs and stimulating the economy. BOM24 MH-VIRUS-LD CASES Maha COVID-19 cases rise by 1,495 to 25,922; death toll 975 Mumbai: Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 1,495 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest single-day count so far, and 54 deaths, including 40 in worst-hit Mumbai, a Health official said.

MDS11 KL-VIRUS-CASES Spike in COVID-19 cases in Kerala;10 test positive Thiruvananthapuram: In a sharp spike, 10 people, four of them who had flown infrom abroad recently, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Kerala on Wednesday as the numbers of those under treatment for the infection climbed to 41. DEL136 HR-LOCKDOWN-TRANSPORT-RESUME Public transport to resume in Haryana from Friday on 'experimental basis': Khattar Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar on Wednesday announced that public transport will resume in the state on an "experimental basis" with a limited number of buses plying on select routes from Friday.

LEGAL LGD15 VIRUS-SC-DRESS Judges, lawyers shouldn’t wear coat, gown as they make it easier to catch virus: CJI New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde on Wednesday said the judges and the lawyers should not wear coat and gown for the time being as they make it “easier to catch virus". LGD19 JUDGE-GOGOI-WEBINAR Why no questions asked from "activist judges", those taking arbitration: Ex CJI Gogoi New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha MP Ranjan Gogoi asked on Wednesday as to why no questions were being asked from "activist judges" and those taking commercial arbitration post retirement.

LGD24 SC-LD SAJJAN Anti-Sikh riots: SC declines interim bail on health grounds to Sajjan Kumar New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed pleas for interim bail or parole on health grounds of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, who is serving life imprisonment in an 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, saying that he did not need hospitalization as per medical report at the moment..