Free Press Bulletin: Top 5 news updates of April 29, 2021; watch video

Free Press Bulletin: Top 5 news updates of April 29, 2021; watch video

Free Press Bulletin is your one-stop destination to the top 5 news updates of the day.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Friday, April 30, 2021, 04:05 PM IST
article-image
Free Press Bulletin |

Here are the top 5 news updates of April 29, 2021:

Facebook blocked posts tagged #ResignModi amid raging criticism of the government's handling of the COVID crisis, but restored it hours later calling it a mistake. "We temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to, and have since restored it," a Facebook spokesperson said today. Later, in a tweet, the Ministry of Electronics and IT said: "Govt has not issued any direction to remove this hashtag. Facebook has also clarified that it was removed by mistake."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked the Centre to declare the COVID-19 pandemic as a "national calamity", Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said today. Raut said Thackeray, during meetings of chief ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and through letters to the Centre, had asked to declare the COVID-19 crisis as a "national calamity". "Thackeray has been saying this for a month now and it is good that even the Supreme Court has taken note of it," the Rajya Sabha member said. The SC on Tuesday had termed the massive resurgence of COVID-19 cases a "national crisis" and said it cannot remain a mute spectator at such a time.

A day after being slammed by the Allahabad High Court for not enforcing a 14-day lockdown, the Yogi Adityanath government has extended the weekend lockdown by another day. Now, Uttar Pradesh will be shut for three days, starting from Friday 8 pm, until Tuesday 7 am. Emergency and essential services will, however, continue during the three-day lockdown period. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and will be implemented across the state starting this Friday.

Amid a massive surge in the COVID-19 cases, the Uttarakhand government today suspended the Char Dham Yatra for this year. The yatra was scheduled to start from May 14. Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said that only priests of the four temples will perform rituals and puja. The Chief Minister said that the decision has been taken in view of the rising cases of coronavirus infections. Uttarakhand had recorded 6,054 new COVID-19 cases and 108 deaths on Wednesday. There are 45,383 active COVID-19 cases in the state, while 1,17,221 have recovered, as per the state health department.

Market benchmarks Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher as monthly derivatives expired today amid a largely positive trend in global equities. After gyrating 840 points during the day, the 30-share BSE index finished 32.10 points or 0.06 per cent higher at 49,765.94. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty advanced 30.35 points or 0.20 per cent to 14,894.90.

RECENT STORIES

Ex-Indian Ambassador To US Taranjit Singh Sandhu Joins BJP

Ex-Indian Ambassador To US Taranjit Singh Sandhu Joins BJP

Prakash Ambedkar Announces Support To Congress On 7 Seats, Says Lost Faith In Uddhav and Sharad...

Prakash Ambedkar Announces Support To Congress On 7 Seats, Says Lost Faith In Uddhav and Sharad...

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: How Inducting Raj Thackeray's MNS Will Impact BJP-led NDA In...

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: How Inducting Raj Thackeray's MNS Will Impact BJP-led NDA In...

In Photos: From Begusarai To Delhi, Here's A List Of Most Polluted Indian Cities In The World

In Photos: From Begusarai To Delhi, Here's A List Of Most Polluted Indian Cities In The World

Arunachal Pradesh An 'Inalienable' Part Of India; Says MEA Over China's 'Absurd Claims' On State

Arunachal Pradesh An 'Inalienable' Part Of India; Says MEA Over China's 'Absurd Claims' On State