Introduction
Current Affairs is a type of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or ongoing at the time of broadcast. The article Current Affairs 12 April 2020 includes News summary on current events of International, National, Education, Banking, Sports, Awards and Obituary importance of 12 April 2020.
INT
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un calls for stronger Covid-19 measures, avoids wearing mask
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Key Highlights- North Korea called for stronger measures against the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic at a meeting presided by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported, without acknowledging whether the country had reported any infections.
- The already isolated, nuclear-armed North quickly shut down its borders after the virus was first detected in neighboring China in January, and imposed strict containment measures.
Antimalarial drug cleared at Trump’s request arrives from India as US toll overtakes Italy’s
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Key Highlights- A large consignment of an antimalarial drug, which President Donald Trump has promoted as a potential “game-changer” in the fight against the coronavirus, arrived here from India.
- The United States has become the country with the highest number of deaths, overtaking Italy, and confirmed cases of infections.
US set to overtake Italy in toll, Donald Trump to set up body to reopen country
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Key Highlights- The United States has become the first country to report more than 2,000 fatalities from the coronavirus disease in a single day and President Donald Trump said he will name a task force next week to decide when to reopen the country, and it does not have to be May 1, a date he has been reportedly considering.
- The president also continued his feud with the World Health Organization (WHO) and said he will have an announcement about US funding for it. He has accused the world body of getting the pandemic wrong and then being “China-centric” and siding with it to help conceal the true extent of their outbreak.
Russia space chief spars with Elon Musk over launch pricing
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Key Highlights- The head of Russia’s space agency accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of predatory pricing for space launches, which is pushing Russia to cut its own prices.
- “Instead of honest competition on the market for space launches, they are lobbying for sanctions against us and use price dumping with impunity,” Rogozin wrote on Twitter.
- Rogozin, who is often outspoken on Twitter and previously engaged in online banter with Elon Musk, raised the issue during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
US Records Highest Global COVID-19 Deaths As Count Crosses 20,000
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Key Highlights- The United States passed the grim milestone of 20,000 coronavirus deaths as huge swaths of the globe celebrated the Easter holiday weekend under lockdown at home.
- The outbreak has now claimed the lives of at least 20,506 people in the US, which leads the world in deaths and in the number of declared infections -- at least 527,111, according to a tally maintained by Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.
National
Ministries to resume work, relief for industries, farmers: Exclusive details on extension of Covid-19 lockdown
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Key Highlights- As India awaits an official announcement on the extension of the national lockdown, India Today TV has accessed exclusive details of what the post-April 14 lockdown will look like.
- Interacting with chief ministers via video conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there seems to be a consensus amongst states on extending the lockdown by two weeks.
Coronavirus in India: New infections raise fear of community spread in states
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Key Highlights- A sub-inspector of Bow Bazar police station saw a beggar, aged about 40, on a pavement on Jogendra Kabiraj Row in central Kolkata, suffering from fever and shortness of breath.
- He was immediately taken to the NRS Medical College and Hospital, where his swab samples test report came positive. He was shifted to the infectious diseases (ID) hospital, the state’s nodal hospital for COVID-19.
Jharkhand reports second Covid-19 death, cases at 17
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Key Highlights- A Covid-19 patient has died in a hospital in Jharkhand’s Ranchi taking the death toll in the state to two, news agency ANI reported.
- Dr. Vijay Bihari, Ranchi’s civil surgeon, was cited by the news agency as saying that the man was among the eight people brought to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) from Hindpiri area of the state capital.
PM Modi strikes a balance, US woes mount: Covid-19 news today
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Key Highlights- India will have to strike a balance between “jaan” (lives) and “jahaan” (the outside world), Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers, in a sign that restrictions to contain Covid-19 may continue in some form but there could also be relaxations to the three-week, nationwide lockdown (which began on March 25) in order to resume economic activity.
- Meanwhile, the US, with at least 19,833 deaths due to the coronavirus disease, became the most affected country in terms of fatalities by overtaking Italy. America, already the worst-hit nation in terms of cases, is the only country to have reported over 500,000 infections.
Coronavirus lockdown: 444 people repatriated, says Australian High Commission
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Key Highlights- A total of 444 people took off on a charter flight from New Delhi for Melbourne amid the nationwide lockdown imposed last month to check the spread of coronavirus.
- “Supported the repatriation of 444 people who just took off on charter flight JT2846 from #Delhi for #Melbourne.
- The flight was organized by a group of Australians led by Simon Quinn. Thanks to @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia for facilitating. @MarisePayne @dfat,” Australian High Commission, India, tweeted along with a 44-second video.
Education
Lucknow University to provide counselling to stressed police personnel during lockdown
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Key Highlights- In a major reprieve to the over-stressed police personnel of the state police, Lucknow University (LU) will provide them assistance in relieving stress, caused by their increased workload due to ongoing lockdown.
- An agreement between the university administration and police department was signed on Friday in this regard.
Telangana students of all public, private schools from Class 1 to 9 to get promoted
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Key Highlights- Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced that students from Class 1 to 9 of all public and private schools in the state will be promoted to the next class.
- “The parents of students from class 1-9 need not worry about their exams. Today Cabinet has decided that all the students from Classes 1 to 9 of both public and private schools will be promoted to the next class,” Rao said while addressing the media after a state Cabinet meeting.
Patna DM instructs private schools not to pressurise parents for school fees
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Key Highlights- Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi has instructed private schools not to pressurise parents for depositing school three months’ fees at a time in the wake of coronavirus lockdown.
- As per the order issued, private schools cannot force the parents to deposit fees for more than a month during the lockdown.
- If one expresses his inability to deposit a one-month fee, schools must not burden them nor can they cancel the admission of his ward.
Banking
PPF, Sukanya Samriddhi account holders get 3-month extension to make deposits for FY 20
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Key Highlights- The government has relaxed deadlines for subscribers of small savings instruments such as public provident fund (PPF) and Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) by three months, amid the Covid-19 lockdown, a finance ministry spokesperson said.
- The subscribers can now deposit their savings for the previous financial year (2019-20) up to June 30, 2020, if they have missed the March 31 deadline because of the lockdown in the country, he said.
EPF withdrawals made in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic exempt of tax
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Key Highlights- Now withdrawals from the Employee Provident Fund will not attract a service charge. Centre had allowed a special provision under which three months salary could be withdrawn from Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) account.
- The announcement made on March 20 saw Rs 2.8 billion disbursed and 1.37 lakh claims being processed. The whole move was aimed at reducing the distress of employees due to Covid-19.
Sports
Spanish Football Club Real Sociedad Cut Player Salaries By Up To 20%
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Key Highlights- Real Sociedad said that they were cutting players' wages by up to 20 per cent in an attempt to stabilise the club's budget during the coronavirus crisis.
- "An agreement has been reached with the first team for the reduction of their wages by 20 per cent in case the league does not resume this season, and by 5 per cent in case the season can start again," said a club statement.
Coronavirus: With Lockdown Extension On Cards, IPL All Set To Be Postponed Indefinitely
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Key Highlights- The cash-rich Indian Premier League's 13th edition on Saturday headed towards an indefinite postponement as the country braced for a lockdown extension to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The BCCI has been waiting for an official announcement from the centre, but with the chief ministers of various states making it clear that another extension is on the cards, India's richest sports body is left with no option but to postpone it further.
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