Coronavirus | Clampdown on citizens seeking COVID-19 help on internet amounts to contempt of court: Supreme Court tells States
A Special Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat said any move by any State to punish citizens who take to the social media to seek help for oxygen cylinders, COVID-19 drugs, beds, hospitalisation, etc, amid a rampaging second wave would attract contempt of court action.
Coronavirus | COVID-19 vaccination for people above 18 deferred in several States
Several States including Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have deferred the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive, which is scheduled to be rolled out for all adults from May 1. Punjab, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh too have flagged shortage of vaccine.
Coronavirus | Modi tells Ministers to address local-level issues, gather feedback
A relative mourns next to the remains of a COVID-19 victim after a mass cremation at a cremation ground in New Delhi on April 30, 2021.
The Council of Ministers met via video conferencing to discuss the second wave, terming it “a once in a century crisis”, a government statement said.
Coronavirus | Tamil Nadu launches Twitter handle for those seeking beds
The State government has launched a new Twitter handle @104_GoTN for the benefit of people seeking beds for patients with COVID-19. Those seeking beds may also use the hashtag #BedsForTN to maximise reach and filter messages, a release said.
Former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee dies of COVID-19
He appeared in several historic cases, including the Kesavananda Bharati case or the Basic Structure Doctrine case.
Tamil Nadu grants temporary permission for oxygen manufacture at Sterlite plant
The government has constituted a seven-member monitoring committee to supervise the functioning of the plant.
Plea seeks relief for migrant labour amid fresh lockdowns
Activists approach Supreme Court to ensure dry rations, transport as curbs hit workers again.
ED takes possession of ₹304 crore assets of Rose Valley Group
According to the agency, the group floated various schemes to collect huge amounts of money from small-time investors on false promises of phenomenal returns. However, it defaulted on re-payments.
Xi sends message to Modi, offers China’s support and assistance
“Chinese President Xi Jinping sends condolences to Indian PM Modi over India’s COVID-19 situation. Mr. Xi said China is willing to enhance cooperation with India on fighting COVID-19 and provide support and assistance to India,” the Communist Party-run Global Times reported.
Nuclear waste tank in Washington state may be leaking, U.S. Department of Energy says
It’s the second tank believed to be leaking waste left from the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The first was discovered in 2013. Many more of the 149 single-walled storage tanks at the site are suspected of leaking.
At least 44 killed, dozens injured in stampede at Israel religious festival
A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 44 people and injured about 150 early Friday, medical officials said. It was one of the country’s deadliest civilian disasters.
Core sector output up 6.8% in March
The growth rate of the eight infrastructure sectors – coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity – stood at (minus) 8.6% in March 2020.
Coronavirus | Pfizer-BioNTech seek vaccine nod for children in Europe
In a statement, the two companies said their submission to the European Medicines Agency was based on an advanced study in more than 2,000 adolescents that showed the vaccine to be safe and effective. The children will continue to be monitored for longer-term protection and safety for another two years.
Coronavirus | Facebook to roll out vaccine finder tool on mobile app in India
In this tool, vaccine centre locations and their hours of operation have been provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
‘Shooter Dadi’ Chandro Tomar dies due to COVID-19
Tomar was already 60-plus when she picked up a gun for the first time but went on to win many national competitions, even inspiring a Bollywood movie on her life.
Pacer Unadkat to donate 10% of his IPL salary to help COVID-19 patients
The 29-year-old from Gujarat, who was retained by Rajasthan this year after being bought for ₹ 3 crore in 2020 IPL auction, made the announcement on his social media account.
Director and cinematographer K.V. Anand no more
Anand, who had started out as a photojournalist, joined cinematographer P.C. Sreeram as his assistant and worked on several films with him. He made his debut as a cinematographer with the Malayalam film Thenmavin Kombath starring Mohanlal, and went on to crank the camera for films in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. His first film won him the National Film Award for Cinematography.
