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Following are the top stories NATION DEL8 VIRUS-LD CASES COVID-19: Death toll rises to 4,337; total cases reach 1,51,767 in India New Delhi: The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,337 and the total number of cases climbed to 1,51,767 in the country, registering an increase of 170 deaths and 6,387 cases in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday. DEL19 RAHUL-EXPERTS COVID-19 here to stay till 2021, aggressive testing needed to curb its spread: Health experts New Delhi: Global health experts on Wednesday said novel coronavirus is here to stay for more than a year and called for aggressive testing to prevent its spread.

DEL20 HEALTH-ESSENTIAL GUIDANCE COVID testing not mandatory for services related to maternal, newborn: Health min New Delhi: Essential services related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health should be continued in a restricted manner in areas defined as containment and buffer zones, the Union Health Ministry said, underlining that COVID testing is not mandatory for providing such services. MDS2 DEF-TN-TEJAS IAF operationalises no.18 Squadron, equips it with LCA Tejas Coimbatore(TN): The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday operationalised its no.18 Squadron, the "Flying Bullets", at Sulur near here, equipping it with the fourth generation Mk1 LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Tejas.

BOM3 CG-LOCUSTS Locust menace: Chhattisgarh farmers, agri department on alert Raipur: The Chhattisgarh agriculture department and farmers of districts bordering Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been alerted after swarms of locusts attacked crops in the neighbouring states, an official said on Wednesday. LEGAL LGD1 VIRUS-DL-HC-VIDEO CLIP Video clip claims no arrangements on ground for COVID-19 patients: HC seeks Centre, Delhi govt stand New Delhi: Taking note of a video clipping on social media of a man who had to run from pillar to post to get his mother hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19, the Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the AAP government to place before it arrangements made to deal with such patients.

BUSINESS DEL15 BIZ-RUPEE-OPEN Rupee slips 8 paise to 75.74 against US dollar in early trade Mumbai: The rupee depreciated 8 paise to 75.74 against the US dollar in opening trade on Wednesday as market participants were concerned about rising tensions between Washington and Beijing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. DCM7 BIZ-BPCL-PRIVATISATION Govt extends BPCL bid deadline to July 31 New Delhi: The government has for the second time extended the deadline for bidding for privatisation of India's second-biggest oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) by over a month to July 31.

FOREIGN FGN16 TRUMP-TWITTER-3RDLD WARNING Twitter labels Trump tweets with a fact check for the first time Washington: For the first time, Twitter put a warning label under two posts by Donald Trump, prompting the US president to accuse the popular social media platform of "interfering" in the presidential election scheduled in November. By Lalit K Jha FGN6 TRUMP-CHINA-HK Trump 'displeased' with China's new security law for Hong Kong: WH Washington: US President Donald Trump is "displeased" with China's new national security law for Hong Kong, the White House has said, amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. By Lalit K Jha FGN17 VIRUS-PAK Pak registers 1,446 new coronavirus cases; total count crosses 59,000-mark Islamabad: Pakistan registered 1,446 new coronavirus infections during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 59,151, the health ministry said on Wednesday. By Sajjad Hussain..