Breaking News, April 14

As Chhattisgarh witnesses a surge in COVID-19 cases, the state government has convened an all-party meeting on Thursday to discuss strategies to prevent the spread of the infection, an official said on Wednesday. The meeting, to be attended by leaders from different political parties and community heads through video conferencing, will start around noon, the state public relations department official said.

Governor Anusuiya Uikey and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will be present in the meeting virtually from their respective official residence, he said.

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he got his second COVID-19 vaccine shot, three weeks after getting the first dose.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday reiterated her call for cancelling the CBSE exams, saying the Centre must not ignore the voice of the students and call off the tests due to the COVID-19 situation in the country.

"I request the government of India again not to ignore the voice of India's future," Priyanka Gandhi said in a Facebook post, demanding cancellation of the CBSE exams. "Along with that, there is also the danger of safety of teachers engaged in exam duty and families of students," the Congress general secretary said.

Odisha's COVID-19 tally mounted to 3,55,353 as the state registered this year's highest single-day spike of 2,267 new cases on Wednesday, a health department official said.

The daily count crossed the 2000-mark for the first time in 2021, he said. The death toll rose to 1,933 as three more people from Bolangir, Ganjam and Jajpur districts succumbed to the disease.

PM Narendra Modi to hold a meeting with Education Minister, Secretary & other important officials at 12 noon to discuss the issue of CBSE Board Exams, Govt of India Sources told ANI

 It was a warm morning in the national capital on Wednesday with the minimum temperature settling at 20.6 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.

The weather office has forecast partly cloudy sky ahead and the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 40 degrees Celsius. The humidity recorded at 8.30 am was 43 per cent. 

With many regions of India celebrating their traditional new year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday offered people his best wishes. Modi wished people on the occasion of Vishu, Odia new year, Bihag Bihu and Puthandu. Different parts of the country are celebrating new year as per Hindu traditions and also their traditional calendars.

Six people were arrested by the cyber cell team here Tuesday for allegedly duping Japanese nationals using social media sites on the pretext of updating their software at throwaway prices.

The accused had learnt the Japanese language at a Delhi-based institute for calling their prospective victims, DIG/ SSP Amit Pathak told reporters. He said they were arrested from Gaushala and Indirapuram areas.