Top news of the day: 70 districts in 16 States report 150% rise in COVID-19 cases, says Health Secretary; Mumbai Police chief transferred over Ambani home bomb scare case, and more

The major news headlines of the day, and more.

Coronavirus | 70 districts in 16 States report 150% rise in COVID-19 cases, says government

Maharashtra alone accounts for 61.8% of the daily new cases with 17,864 cases. It is followed by Kerala with 1,970 while Punjab reported 1,463 new cases, the Health Ministry said. Kerala is reporting a consistently declining trend over the last one month.

Coronavirus | Need to take quick, decisive steps to stop emerging second peak, Modi tells CMs

“If we do not stop it here, then a condition for a nationwide outbreak may emerge,” he during a virtual interaction with Chief Ministers over the pandemic situation and the ongoing vaccination drive.

Mukesh Ambani home bomb scare | Param Bir Singh shifted; Hemant Nagrale will be new Mumbai Police chief

State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier in the day, made the announcement on Twitter amid speculation in media over Mr. Singh’s handling of the Sachin Vaze episode. Mr. Vaze is at the focus of a probe by the National Investigating Agency in a case related to the recovery of an SUV with explosives near Mukesh Ambani’s house in Mumbai.

Supreme Court terms cancellation of 3 crore ration cards serious, seeks response from Centre, States

A Bench of Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said this matter should not be treated as adversarial as it is too serious a matter.

Parliament proceedings | Centre never lodged false cases against anyone despite difference of opinion: Kishan Reddy

The Minister of State for Home said that Centre had not stopped anyone from expressing their views within the framework of the Constitution.

Parliament proceedings | No proposal to appoint regulator for social media, says IT Minister

Ravi Shankar Prasad, however, said that the government has released Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, under the IT Act that specifies the due diligence to be followed by all the intermediaries, including the social media intermediaries.

Assembly Elections | Enforcement agencies make seizures worth ₹311 crore

Tamil Nadu tops the list at ₹127.64 crore including precious metals.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections | Wear masks, get vaccinated, Stalin says at election campaign in Madurai

The DMK president highlighted the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the State, and reiterated that every life was important.

West Bengal Assembly Elections | BJP wanted me to keep indoors before polls: Mamata Banerjee

Addressing a public meeting in Gopiballavpur in the Jhargram district, Ms. Banerjee alleged that earlier it was CPI(M) which used to physically attack her and now the BJP was doing the same.

Kerala Assembly Elections | Breaking the glass ceiling in politics

Though women outnumber men in the Kerala’s electoral pool, no political front has ever pushed for a fairer representation of women within party structures.

Assam Assembly Elections | BJP campaign focusses on attacking Badruddin Ajmal

The perfume baron appears to be the flavour of the poll season for rival BJP. In campaign after campaign, the saffron party has attacked Mr. Ajmal, president of the AIUDF and a Lok Sabha member. The AIUDF is a constituent of the 10-party Mahajot or grand alliance headed by the Congress in Assam.

BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma found dead in his Delhi flat

A police officer said that they found medicines in his room. No note has been recovered.

Pilot killed in MiG-21 jet crash

A MiG-21 Bison fighter jet crashed while taking off for a combat training mission from an airbase in central India.

Peace with Pakistan will give India direct access to Central Asia, says Imran Khan

“India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much,” the Pakistan Prime Minister said.

Exclusion of women in decision-making marker of ‘flawed democracy’, says Kamala Harris

Ms. Harris voiced her concern over the decline of democracy and freedom across the globe in her address to the 65th Session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women.

In landmark ruling, Japan court says not allowing same-sex marriage is ‘unconstitutional’

The ruling is a major symbolic victory in a country where the constitution defines marriage as being based on “the mutual consent of both sexes”.

After a tussle with Indian developers, Google cuts Play Store fees

The pushback from India made Google re-evaluate its plans to mandate new Play Store rules in its second-largest internet market.

World going through unprecedented chip shortage, China trade body says

China is the world’s largest buyer of semiconductors, but domestic production is marginal. Sales in China grew 17.8% in 2020 from a year earlier to 891 billion yuan ($137 billion), according to the China Semiconductor Industry Association.

India readies Saudi oil import cut as standoff escalates

India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer, imports more than 80% of its oil needs and relies heavily on the Middle East.

Ind vs Eng, 4th T20 | In must-win game, India aim to negate toss factor

The template of win the toss and bowl has been set in the series with the chasing team getting home rather comfortably.

Astronomers sight wandering huge black hole, but at a safe distance

Located at the centre of a galaxy named J0437+2456, this supermassive black hole has a mass about three million times that of our Sun.

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