U.S. oil prices fall below zero before settling at minus $37.63 per barrel
Traders fled from the expiring May U.S. oil futures contract in a frenzy on Monday, sending the contract into negative territory for the first time in history, as barely any buyers are willing to take delivery of oil barrels because there is no place to put the crude.
Coronavirus | Speed of virus infections slows, doubling time rises in 18 States
Eighteen States and Union Territories have “shown improvement” in containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Odisha and Kerala leading the pile, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.
Also read | Assam man reaches home after 2,800-km trip from Gujarat
Coronavirus | As Centre frowns, Kerala steps back on easing curbs
Following the Centre’s strong objections to Kerala easing certain COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the State government on Monday decided not to allow plying of buses in cities, opening of restaurants and pillion riding on two-wheelers.
Also read | 196 cases, 8 deaths in Gujarat on Monday | Bandipora emerges as Jammu and Kashmir’s hotspot after coronavirus cases rise to 91
Coronavirus | Plea in Supreme Court seeks full refund for air tickets cancelled due to lockdown
A petition was filed on Monday seeking directions that airline companies should fully refund tickets cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. The petition filed by the Pravasi Legal Cell has also challenged an April 16 Office Memorandum (OM) of the Civil Aviation Ministry which covers only the refund of tickets booked during the lockdown period.
J&K police file FIR on The Hindu report
Describing a report headlined “Kin allowed to exhume bodies of militants in Baramulla” published by The Hindu on April 19 as “fake news,” the Jammu and Kashmir police have registered an FIR in the matter.
Right to decent burial is part of fundamental right to life, says HC
Observing that the fundamental right to life guaranteed under the Constitution includes the right to decent burial or cremation, the Madras High Court on Monday warned local residents against raising objections to the disposal of the bodies of those who had died due to COVID-19.
Also read | Vijayakant offers land in his engineering college to bury Covid-19 victims | IMA seeks law to check violence against doctors
Coronavirus lockdown | Pay ₹7,500 to the poor: Congress
The Congress consultative group on COVID-19 headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggested, after a virtual meeting on Monday, that the Central government immediately transfer ₹7,500 to every Jan Dhan account and beneficiaries of the PM Kisan scheme and other pension schemes of the Rural Development Ministry.
Blood banks running on low reserves, seek urgent help
Pushed against the wall, hospitals across India have now started contacting individual blood donors to tide over the acute shortage of blood that most of them are facing with the continued lockdown due to COVID-19.
Coronavirus lockdown | Truck carrying 94 migrants from Haryana intercepted by U.P. police
A truck carrying 94 migrant labourers to Bihar, including women, was intercepted by the Uttar Pradesh police on the Jharkhand border in Sonbhadra. The migrants, natives of Munger and Vaishali districts of Bihar, were coming from Faridabad in Haryana, said a police officer.
Also read| Maharashtra reports 466 new cases, 9 deaths
Additional trade barriers violate WTO’s principle of non-discrimination: China
India’s recently adopted policy to curb opportunistic takeovers of domestic companies goes against the principles of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India said on Monday. This is the first response from the Chinese side after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an April 17 decision imposed restrictions saying companies from countries that share borders with India can invest “only under the government route”.
No plan for GST relief for key medical items: Centre
The Centre does not plan to provide an exemption from paying Goods and Services Tax (GST) for key medical items such as ventilators, sanitisers, coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic test kits, masks and other protective equipment. Exempting GST would increase manufacturing costs without helping the consumer much, and would also incentivise import of such items from China, official sources said.
Also read | Exempted PF trusts disburse ₹481.63 crore in COVID-19 advance | Staff donate for PMNRF, DU redirects money to PM-CARES
