PTI is recommending to its subscribers the following exclusive and special stories on April 8, Wednesday as part of our continuing coverage of the COVID-19 crisis:

PTI is recommending to its subscribers the following exclusive and special stories on April 8, Wednesday as part of our continuing coverage of the COVID-19 crisis: 1. LOCKDOWN-ASSAM-ITALIAN TOURIST -- DEL73 New Delhi: It was almost as if destiny led him to a Guwahati house where he found friendship and warmth many thousand miles away from his home in Italy, says Giovanni Allegrini who is living out his days in lockdown with an Assamese family he now calls his own. 2. LOCKDOWN-CHILD ABUSE -- DEL23 New Delhi: The Childline India helpline received more than 92,000 SOS calls asking for protection from abuse and violence in 11 days, a sombre indication that the lockdown has turned into extended captivity not just for many women but also for children trapped with their abusers at home.  3. LOCKDOWN-RLYS-LOSSES -- DEL45 New Delhi: Indian Railways, which was on its way till February to not just meet but surpass its freight loading target, will end 2019-20 with 15.7 million tonnes less than the previous financial year. . 4. VIRUS-AIIMS-PATIENT -- DEL78 New Delhi: Around 30 healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and technicians at the Cardio-Neuro Centre in AIIMS here have been advised to undergo quarantine after a 72-year-old man who visited the facility with neurological problem tested positive for COVID-19, sources said on Wednesday. .

5. VIRUS-LD STUDENTS-PRAYERS -- DEL39   New Delhi: Together we can, say students across the globe who are offering "Synchronised Global Prayers" for those infected with COVID-19 and healthcare workers with a group at USA's Princeton University studying the effect on vibes during the period. . 6. JK-LOCKDOWN-TIMBER SMUGGLING -- DES9  Bhadarwah/Jammu: While the ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus has ground life to a halt for most people across the country, timber smugglers have stepped up their activities in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhadarwah valley to "inflict maximum damage in minimum time". .

7. UP-LOCKDOWN-HELPLINE -- DES16 Lucknow: Trained to enforce law and order, cops attached to police response vehicles (PRVs) are now performing a new role amid the lockdown imposed to curb coronavirus, with many of them attending calls related to supply of essential items and extending a helping hand to the poor, sick and distressed. 8. GA-LOCKDOWN-MUSIC -- BOM2 Panaji: While the coronavirus is spreading its tentacles across the globe, music has come up as a powerful instrument for several Goans, including singers, policemen and even Panaji mayor, to create awareness about the disease and the necessity of lockdown. . 9. WB-LOCKDOWN-GURU DAKSHINA -- CAL3   Kolkata:  As the coronavirus-triggered lockdown is under way, a humble Maruti 800 car chugs along the warren of forlorn streets of South Kolkata with a sticker pasted on its windshield--'Emergency Medicine Supply'. .

10. WB-LOCKDOWN-ONLINE-EVENTS -- CES14 Kolkata: With the lockdown in force and people confined to their homes, many organizations in the cityare now conducting online cultural events, including competitions and theatre events. . 11. BIZ-VIRUS-STEEL EXPANSION -- DCM5   New Delhi: The outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic may adversely impact the expansion plans of domestic steel makers, according to experts. .

12. BIZ-VIRUS-SOCIALMEDIA -- DCM 11 New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and IT expects social media companies to put more efforts in curbing the spread of misleading content that has the potential to cause harm to the society, especially in the present crisis of COVID-19, a senior official said on Wednesday. . PTI RT RT.