HIGHLIGHTS

By Fakir Hassen FGN21 TAIWAN-TRAIN-4THLD CRASH Train derails in eastern Taiwan, killing 48, injuring dozens Taipei A train partially derailed in eastern Taiwan on Friday after being hit by an unmanned vehicle that had rolled down a hill, killing 48 people.

Following are the top stories at 5.15 pm: NATION DEL9 VIRUS-LD CASES COVID-19:Single-day rise of 81,466 cases, highest in six months New Delhi: India recorded the highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases in six months with 81,466 new infections in a span of 24 hours, taking the COVID-19 tally of cases to 1,23,03,131, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

DEL16 VACCINE-COVERAGE India records highest single-day vaccine coverage New Delhi: More than 36.7 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day coverage till now, the Union Health ministry said on Friday.

MDS18 TN-POLLS-LD MODI DMK and Congress leaders keep insulting women, says Modi in TN rally Madurai (TN): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched yet another blistering attack on the DMK and Congress, charging that their leaders ''keep insulting women'', while pointing out that the NDA schemes are aimed at empowering women.

CAL17 WB-TMC-LD EC TMC complains of 'partisan behaviour' by central forces, BJP counters Mamata violated model code of conduct Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Friday complained to the Election Commission of partisan behaviour by central police forces in favour of its rival BJP, while the saffron party made a counter- complaint that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had violated the model code of conduct by being inside a polling booth in Nandigram for two hours on polling day.

CAL11 WB-POLL-MAMATA 'Not your party's member': Mamata hits back at Modi over second seat contest dig Dinhata (WB): Asserting that she was winning the election from Nandigram, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that she does not need his ''suggestion'' on contesting from any other seat.

DEL32 BIZ-SMALL SAVINGS-WB West Bengal contributes highest to small savings schemes New Delhi: West Bengal, which is the midst of a high-pitched assembly election, accounts for the highest collection of about Rs 90,000 crore from small savings schemes such as NSC and PPF among the states and union territories, which is about 15 per cent of the total corpus.

DEL26 JK-3RDLD ENCOUNTER Pulwama encounter: 2 militants involved in attack on BJP leader's house among 3 killed Srinagar: Three militants, including two who were involved in an attack on a BJP leader's house here, were killed in an encounter with security forces on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

DEL24 EC-AS-LD EVM EC orders repoll in one Assam polling booth after EVM controversy New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday ordered a repoll at a polling booth in Ratabari seat of Assam after a controversy broke out over the presiding officer carrying the EVM after polling in a vehicle which belonged to the wife of a BJP candidate contesting from a neighbouring seat.

DEL12 VACCINE-COVAXIN THIRD DOSE COVID-19: Govt's expert panel allows clinical trials for third dose of Covaxin New Delhi: The expert panel of India's drug regulator, DCGI, has permitted Bharat Biotech to give a third dose of Covaxin to a few volunteers in its clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine, sources said.

DEL23 VIRUS-PRIYANKA-SELF ISOLATE Priyanka self isolates after Robert Vadra tests COVID +ve; cancels campaign in TN, Assam, Kerala New Delhi: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday self isolated after her husband Robert Vadra tested positive for COVID-19. BOM1 MH-AMBANI-VEHICLE-GANGSTER Antilia scare: Gangster lodged in Tihar jail under scanner for Telegram message Mumbai: The role of a gangster lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail is being probed in connection with the message on Telegram channel, through which an outfit named Jaish-ul-Hind had claimed responsibility for placing an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house here, a police official said.

MDS6 TN-DMK-TAX-SEARCHES DMK slams Centre for 'income tax searches' in the residence of party chief Stalin's daughter Vellore: The DMK on Friday condemned the Central government for 'searches' by income tax officials in the residence of party chief M K Stalin's daughter Senthamarai in Chennai and alleged it has a 'political objective.' BOM6 MH-VIRUS-PUNE-RESTRICTIONS COVID-19: Restaurants, bars, malls to be shut for week in Pune Pune: Eateries, bars and restaurants in Pune district of Maharashtra will remain shut for seven days starting April 3 in view of a substantial rise in coronavirus cases of late, a senior official said on Friday.

FOREIGN FGN18 SA-GUPTA-FUND-LD SEIZURE South Africa seizes USD 1.3 mn from Gupta family-owned company’s bank account Johannesburg: South Africa’s central bank has seized over USD 1.3 million from a bank account of the now-abandoned Gupta family-owned Sahara Computers, which was one of the country’s leading IT suppliers. By Fakir Hassen FGN21 TAIWAN-TRAIN-4THLD CRASH Train derails in eastern Taiwan, killing 48, injuring dozens Taipei: A train partially derailed in eastern Taiwan on Friday after being hit by an unmanned vehicle that had rolled down a hill, killing 48 people. With the train still partly in a tunnel, survivors climbed out of windows and walked along the train's roof to reach safety after the country's deadliest railway disaster.