Here are the top 5 news updates of April 26, 2021:
1. Karnataka announces two-week curfew amid COVID-19 surge
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa today announced a two-week curfew in the state in light of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. “A COVID-19 curfew will be implemented in the state from tomorrow 9 pm for the next 14 days. Essential services will be allowed between 6 to 10 am. After 10 am, shops will close,” Yediyurappa said. He added, “Only construction, manufacturing and agriculture sectors allowed. Public transport will remain shut.” The Chief Minister also announced that government hospitals would provide free COVID-19 vaccinations for the age group between 18 to 45, and for those over 45, the Centre has announced free vaccination.
2. Free COVID-19 vaccine in Delhi to all above 18: CM Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi government will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all those above 18 years of age in the city for which purchase of 1.34 crore doses has been approved, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today. The government will make efforts to speed up vaccine purchase and administering it to the people, he said in an online briefing. “We are working on a plan to start large-scale vaccination as soon as possible,” he said. Kejriwal said COVID-19 vaccines should have one price and appealed to the Centre to bring down the price.
3. Election commission responsible for second COVID-19 wave: Madras HC
The Madras High Court today slammed the Election Commission for not stopping political parties from conducting election rallies and said that the poll body was responsible for the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bench made the observations while hearing a plea by Tamil Nadu minister MR Vijayabhaskar seeking direction to the EC to follow appropriate measures in the counting of votes on May 2 in Karur counting centre. Chief Justice Banerjee said that the officials of the Election Commission should probably be booked on murder charges. He also warned that the court will stop the counting of votes on May 2 if a blueprint to follow COVID-19 protocol is not put in.
4. Tamil Nadu allows Sterlite plant to reopen to produce oxygen, bar on operating other units
An all-party meeting convened by the Tamil Nadu government today resolved to allow Vedanta’s Sterlite Industries in Tuticorin to produce oxygen for a four-month period amid surging covid cases, paving the way for the partial reopening of the copper smelter closed in 2018 over pollution concerns. The unit was sealed by the state government in May 2018, days after 13 agitators were killed in police firing during a violent anti-Sterlite protest in the southern district.
5. Sensex surges 508 points; Nifty tops 14,450
Equity benchmark Sensex rallied 508 points today, tracking gains in index majors ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries and Axis Bank amid a mixed trend in global markets. The 30-share BSE index ended 508.06 points or 1.06 per cent higher at 48,386.51. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty jumped 143.65 points or 1 per cent to 14,485. Axis Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 4 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank, UltraTech Cement, HUL, SBI, PowerGrid, Bajaj Auto and Reliance Industries.
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