Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has declined to interfere with the Centre and Air India's decision to operate chartered flights to repatriate foreign nationals to their respective countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A bench of justices J R Midha and Jyoti Singh was of the view that the Centre and the national carrier have taken measures such as issuing protection kits to the pilots and crew of the flights to protect them from the novel coronavirus.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) All postal employees, including Gramin Dak Sevaks, will get Rs 10 lakh compensation in case they succumb to COVID-19, the government said on Saturday.

The postal services come under essential services and apart from regular services, the post offices are also delivering food packets, rations and essential medicines, among others, across the country by liasioning with local administration and police.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi thanked the government on Saturday for amending the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy after his warning on takeover of Indian companies by foreign players during the COVID-19 crisis.

"I thank the Government for taking note of my warning and amending the FDI norms to make it mandatory for Government approval in some specific cases," he wrote on Twitter.

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday urged the government to transfer cash and distribute free food grains to the poor, saying only a heartless government will not do anything.

He said more and more people have run out of cash and are standing in queues for free cooked food.

Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI) SpiceJet has decided to send employees earning more than Rs 50,000 per month on leave without pay on a rotational basis, sources said on Sunday amid flight services remaining suspended till May 3.

This arrangement would be in place for three months, they added.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) At least 26 Indian Navy personnel have tested positive for coronavirus at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, in first case of a major outbreak of the deadly disease in the Indian armed forces.

All the infected sailors were serving at the INS Angre, a shore-based logistics and support establishment, and they are undergoing treatment at a Navy hospital, official sources said.

New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) A 44-year-old Delhi Police head constable tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Friday.

The head constable was posted at Bara Hindurao Hospital in north Delhi, they said.

He lives in Khajuri area and his family members have been asked to be in quarantine, the officials said.

Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava approved a grant of Rs 1 lakh to any officer/staff who tests positive for COVID-19 while discharging his or her duty.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Delhi police charged former JNU student Sharjeel Imam with sedition before a court here on Saturday, alleging his speech promoted enmity between people that led to riots in the Jamia Millia Islamia University area.

In its supplementary charge sheet, the police said serious riots had broken out in consequence to the protest march organised by Jamia students" against the amended citizenship law on December 15 last year.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Opposition leader Sharad Yadav on Saturday alleged that migrant labourers were facing discrimination as they were not allowed to travel to their native places while the Uttar Pradesh government was allowed to bring back state students studying in Kota in Rajasthan.

Politics is being played even in imposing lockdown measures, he said.

New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 480 and the number of cases to 14,378 in the country on Saturday, according to the Union Health Ministry

While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 11,906, as many as 1,991 people have been cured and discharged, and one had migrated, it said

The total number of cases includes 76 foreign nationals