HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 1 pm: NATION DEL26 VIRUS-LD CASES Number of coronavirus cases 649 in India, death toll 13: Health Ministry New Delhi: The number of coronavirus cases climbed to 649 in India on Thursday and the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 13, with one death reported each from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, according to the Health Ministry. DEL20 VIRUS-SONIA-PM COVID-19: Sonia writes to PM, voices support to lockdown New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, voicing her support to the 21-day lockdown announced by the PM in view of the coronavirus outbreak, and suggested several measures such as protection of doctors, easing the supply chains and deferment of loans.

DEL5 JK-VIRUS-DEATH Kashmir reports first death due to coronavirus Srinagar: A 65-year-old man hailing from Hyderpora area of the city died on Thursday, becoming the first fatality in Jammu and Kashmir due to coronavirus. DEL13 SPICEJET-VIRUS-FLIGHT SpiceJet's special flight to take 142 Iran-returned Indians to quarantine facility in Jodhpur New Delhi: SpiceJet said on Thursday that it will conduct a special flight on Sunday to take 142 Iran-returned Indians from Delhi to Jodhpur so that they can be taken to a government quarantine facility there.

BOM15 GJ-VIRUS-DEATH 70-yr-old COVID-19 patient dies in Guj; state toll rises to 3 Ahmedabad: A 70-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district early Thursday morning, a health department officials said. DEL32 VIRUS-KEJRIWAL-LG Coronavirus lockdown: Shops selling essentials will remain open round the clock, says Delhi LG New Delhi: The Delhi government will allow shops selling essential items to operate round the clock so that there is no rush of people in the wake of the 21-day lockdown, Lt Governor Anil Baijal said on Thursday.

DEL12 VIRUS-ICMR-TESTING ICMR invites quotations from manufacturers for supply of COVID-19 test kits New Delhi: In an urgent move towards expanding the coronavirus diagnostics in India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited quotations from manufacturers for supply of kits for the testing of COVID-19. DEL10 JK-VIRUS-KASHMIR Restrictions intensified in Kashmir following detection of 4 more COVID-19 cases; total no. 11 Srinagar: The restrictions on the movement and assembly of people to contain the spread of the coronavirus were intensified in Kashmir on Thursday, in the wake of four more positive cases detected in the valley on Wednesday, taking the total number of affected persons to 11, officials said.

DEL29 JK-SHELLING Pakistani troops shell forward areas along IB in J-K's Kathua Jammu: Pakistani troops fired at and shelled forward areas along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district in violation of the ceasefire, officials said on Thursday. FOREIGN FGN14 UN-AFGHAN-LD ATTACK UN condemns terrorist attack on Sikhs in Afghanistan United Nations: The United Nations has condemned the terrorist attack on a Gurudwara in Kabul that killed at least 25 people, with the UN chief calling for the perpetrators of such crimes to be held accountable and the world body emphasising that there can be no justification for the killing of civilians at a religious house. By Yoshita Singh FGN13 US-POMPEO-CHINA China poses 'substantial threat' to Americans' health, way of life: Pompeo Washington: China's ruling Communist Party poses a "substantial threat" to Americans' health and their way of life, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, blasting Beijing for engaging in the intentional "disinformation campaign" and trying to deflect from its handling of the coronavirus crisis. By Lalit K Jha ZCZC FGN12 VIRUS-INDOUS-ENVOY India and US collaborating on combating COVID-19: Ambassador Sandhu Washington: India and the US are working together on combating the deadly coronavirus and collaboration is underway in the areas of diagnostics and therapeutics of the disease, which so far has taken the lives of more than 20,000 people globally, according to the Indian envoy here. By Lalit K Jha FGN15 VIRUS-TRUMP-WHO WHO 'very much' sided with China on coronavirus: Trump Washington, Mar 26 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has said that the World Health Organization has "very much" sided with China on coronavirus crisis, asserting that many people are unhappy with the global health agency and feel that "it's been very unfair". By Lalit K Jha SPORTS SPD5 SPO-VIRUS-SINDHU-DONATION Sindhu donates Rs 5 lakh each to Telangana and Andhra to fight COVID-19 pandemic New Delhi: World champion shuttler P V Sindhu on Thursday donated Rs 5 lakh each to the Chief Minister's Relief Funds of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to fight the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed over 21,000 lives globally.