1. In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, the Home Ministry has sought a report from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on the alleged presence of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Masood Azhar in Pakistan.
2. India has rejected the United Nations’ call for the country to be made a nuclear weapons-free zone.
3. The Maharashtra government has introduced a bill to impose a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment on those who refuse to offer prayers at the ‘gurdwara’ (a Sikh temple).
4. The central government has decided to waive off the registration fees for foreign tourists in Uttarakhand.
5. In the latest figures, the Indian economy grew at 7.6% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, lower than the 8.1% growth in the last quarter of 2018.
6. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the second of its two PSLV rocket, carrying a record 104 satellites in one go.
7. The Centre has given the green signal for a 10-year tax holiday for the construction of roads, bridges and tunnels.
8.
The French parliament voted to extend the lockdown in the country to May 3, as it is feared the coronavirus could spread further in the country. The United States has officially declared a national emergency, with President Donald Trump calling the situation “a crisis like we have never seen before.” The number of coronavirus cases in the US has risen to more than 100,000.
Here are the highlights of the political landscape, entertainment updates, and health sector in the world for April:
Coronavirus: The French parliament votes to extend the lockdown in the country to May 3
The French parliament voted to extend the lockdown in the country to May 3, as it is feared the coronavirus could spread further in the country.
The European Union has said that the number of coronavirus cases in the bloc has risen to more than 1,000, with Italy recording more than 2,600 cases and France having the most confirmed cases with over 5,500.
In the US, President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak.
For instance, the administration has extended the ban on US citizens travelling to the US from Europe to April 15, and has also issued a travel advisory to people travelling from Europe to the US.
According to the latest figures, more than 10,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus in the US, with more than 500 deaths.
In France, the government has introduced a two-month state of emergency, and banned all public gatherings, gatherings of more than five people, as well as non-essential travel.
The number of coronavirus cases in India has risen to over 1,400, with more than 50 deaths reported so far.
The government has declared a three-week nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The central government has also introduced a comprehensive scheme of the ‘Janta Curfew’, which would ensure that no one will be allowed to step out of their homes for the next 14 days.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been deployed in the affected areas to help the state governments to deal with the crisis.
The government has also launched a drive to ensure that all government employees are paid their salaries in full.