The International Monetary Fund on Monday announced it had approved immediate debt relief for 25 poor countries to help them channel financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

This comes as the number of COVID-19 cases and the death toll spike worldwide. The number of coronavirus cases on Tuesday rose to 19 lakh as the death toll neared 1.2 lakh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the extension of the current nation-wide lockdown to May 3, with intensive containment measures at hotspots till April 20 in order for areas to qualify for any relief measures and freedom of mobility, especially for hawkers and daily-wage workers. He added that a detailed guideline on the contours of this extended lockdown will be issued by the government on Wednesday.

The Covid-19 pandemic will have after-effects on the media and entertainment industry, turning out to be disastrous for films, entertainment events and theme parks. It will, however, boost digital media consumption in India.

KPMG has released a report titled Covid-19: The Many Shades Of A Crisis- A Media And Entertainment Sector Perspective, which highlights the impact of Covid-19 in the media and entertainment industry. The report states that the current environment could result in a dip in media consumption in the near term.

TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCC), part of the $8.5 billion TVS Group, said that it is focusing on a 90-day plan to combat the national lockdown due to coronavirus. The company also said that it has managed to get six customers during the period.

After announcing the launch of Corona Kavach, a PPE kit, Ravi Vishwanathan, joint managing director, TVS SCC said, the 90-day plan will make sure that as an organisation the company remains agile and stays closer to its customers, ecosystem, pays more attention to its employees so that it will have the ability to bounce back very quickly and be very transparent to its stakeholders.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released an official statement stating it was troubled by reports of food aid being denied to the minority Hindus and Christians in Pakistan amid COVID-19 outbreak across the nation.

These actions are simply reprehensible. As COVID-19 continues to spread, vulnerable communities within Pakistan are fighting hunger and to keep their families safe and healthy. Food aid must not be denied because of one's faith, said USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava.

India has registered strong protests with Islamabad after Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) vessel attacked two Indian fishing boats on Sunday. The incident took place off the coast of Gujarat at the international maritime border and during the attack, one Indian fisherman was injured.

In a note verbale, the Ministry of External Affairs condemned the deplorable and unprofessional act by PMSA vessel, calling it a contravention of international laws. The ministry also asked Pakistan to desist from such acts in the future.

The Maharashtra government on Monday set up a COVID-19 task force of nine senior doctors as coronavirus cases and deaths mount in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai.

The task force will provide guidance to health professionals and streamline services in the state. The doctors have been tasked with playing a key role in tackling the unprecedented health crisis in Maharashtra which has so far claimed 160 lives, highest for any state in India.

As the novel coronavirus creates havoc in America, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will extend help to stranded Indians amid visa worries and may extend their stay depending on the circumstances.

The US immigration authority may provide special consideration or expedited processing for those who may need it on a case-by-case basis, WION has learnt.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and two other election commissioners will take a voluntary reduction of 30% of their basic salary for a year to contribute to the fund for coronavirus fight.

The Election Commission has decided to contribute in the form of voluntary reduction of 30% in the basic salary paid by the Election Commission of India to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and election commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra for a period of one year commencing April 1, 2020, the ECI said in a press release.

Facing unprecedented crisis due to the coronavirus outbreak, Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking relief for auto dealers.

The auto industry, including manufacturing and distribution, is completely shut down due to the lockdown over COVID-19.

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