HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 9pm: NATION DEL120 LDALL VIRUS COVID-19: Confirmed cases near 19,000, death toll crosses 600; ICMR to test rapid testing kits New Delhi: With testing being ramped up to identify COVID-19 patients, the efficacy of China-made rapid antibody blood test kits has come under scanner with Rajasthan on Tuesday flagging their "inaccurate results", prompting the apex medical research body ICMR to ask states to stop these tests for two days for further validation. DEL104 LOCKDOWN-MHA-LD BENGAL MHA directs West Bengal not to obstruct working of central teams assessing lockdown measure New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government not to obstruct the work of two central teams visiting the state for an on-the-spot assessment of implementation of lockdown measures taken to fight novel coronavirus.

DEL124 VIRUS-LD HEALTH MINISTRY ICMR asks states to stop using rapid antibody tests for next two days New Delhi: India's apex medical research body ICMR on Tuesday advised states to stop using the rapid antibody test kits for next two days till it examines their quality in the wake of complaints that they are not fully effective. DEL60 VIRUS-2NDLD PRESIDENT ESTATE 115 families at President's Estate in self-isolation as sanitation worker's relative tests positive New Delhi: Anxious moments were witnessed at the President's Estate after a kin of an employee, working in the housekeeping department, was detected with the COVID-19 disease prompting authorities to keep 115 families under "self-isolation" as a "preventive measure".

DEL91 OIC-3RDLD NAQVI Naqvi attacks OIC over 'Islamophobia' allegations; says India heaven for Muslims New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday hit out at the OIC for its criticism of India over alleged incidents of "Islamophobia", saying the country is "heaven for Muslims" and those trying to vitiate the atmosphere of prosperity cannot be friends of Indian Muslims. BOM25 MP-2NDLD MINISTRY A month on, Chouhan expands Cabinet, rewards 2 Cong rebels Bhopal: Amid the coronavirus crisis, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday expanded his Cabinet for the first time by inducting five ministers, two of them Congress rebels who joined the BJP, nearly a month after taking charge.

DEL121 RICE-SANITIZERS-LD REAX Rahul Gandhi slams govt for allowing use of rice to make sanitiser; Paswan hits back, asks Cong leader to shun his 'negative mindset' New Delhi: The Centre’s decision to use surplus rice for making ethanol-based sanitisers triggered a political row on Tuesday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claiming that while the poor are dying of hunger, the government is busy cleaning the hands of the rich, evoking a sharp response from Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who asserted that there was no shortage of food grains for the poor and asked Gandhi to shun his "negative mindset". MDS26 TL-VIRUS-LD HOSPITAL Telangana transforms 14-storey tower into COVID-19 hospital in 20 days Hyderabad: It just took 20 days for the Telangana government to convert a 14-storey tower at Gachibowli sports complex here, into a 1,500-bedded COVID-19 special hospital. BUSINESS DCM85 BIZ-LOCKDOWN-INDIA INC-SURVEY Stress on industry due to Covid-19 to extend beyond June: Survey New Delhi: Economic stress on India Inc arising out of the lockdown induced by coronavirus is expected to last well beyond the first quarter of the current financial year, according to a survey. DCM90 BIZ-VODA IDEA LD LICENCE FEE Voda Idea pays about Rs 1,367 cr to govt towards licence fee, spectrum dues for Mar qtr New Delhi: Telecom operator Vodafone Idea has submitted about Rs 1,367 crore to the government towards licence fee and spectrum usage charges (SUC) payment for the March 2020 quarter.

LEGAL: LGD15 VIRUS-SC-LD WOMEN SHELTER HOMES SC asks Centre to consider including women shelter homes under COVID-19 preventive guidelines New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre to consider extending the guidelines issued to prevent the spread of coronavirus in children's homes to Nari Niketans or women's shelter homes, wherever feasible. LGD12 VIRUS-SC-EVACUATION Need to wait for sometime before direction is given to govt to bring back Indians stranded in US: SC New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The Supreme Court Tuesday said there was a need to wait for sometime before any direction is given to the Centre for bringing back Indian citizens stranded in USA in the wake of coronavirus pandemic as efforts are being made by both, New Delhi and Washington, to provide assistance to them.

FOREIGN: FGN28 PAK-TERRORISTS-WATCHLIST Pakistan removes thousands of names from terrorist watch list: Report New York: Pakistan has quietly removed around 1,800 terrorists from its watch list, including that of the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, ahead of a new round of assessments by the global anti-money-laundering watchdog FATF, according to a US-based start-up that automates watchlist compliance. FGN61 VIRUS-PAK-LD IMRAN Pak PM to get tested for COVID-19: aide Islamabad: Imran Khan has agreed to get tested for the novel coronavirus after a well-known philanthropist was tested positive for the COVID-19, days after meeting the Pakistan prime minister, his doctor said on Tuesday. By Sajjad Hussain.