The global coronavirus caseload has topped 508.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 6.21 million and vaccinations to over 11.22 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and the death toll stood at 508,675,438 and 6,215,433, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered increased to 11,223,233,693.

Five states -- Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala -- account for 49 per cent of the overall extraction of groundwater in the entire country while the rest of the country accounts for 50 per cent, government data between 2004-2020 has shown.

"However, it was only in 2009, that Andhra Pradesh replaced Madhya Pradesh," said an official associated with Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the flagship programme of the Jal Shakti Ministry.

The Punjab police has ordered withdrawal of security cover of 184 former ministers and ex-MLAs and other leaders.

Personnel deployed on specific orders of the courts, however, will not be withdrawn, stated a letter by the additional director general of police (security).

The letter dated April 20 was sent to senior police officers, including police commissioners and senior superintendents of police.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said that India is "carving out" opportunities from challenging situations as the world continues to face hikes in fuel prices and shortage of food grains amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

Addressing a press conference in Washington alongside Indian envoy to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Sitharaman said that India is trying to find a market for its exports and provide meaningful assistance to end hunger.

Enthusiasm among devotees coming for the Char Dham yatra beginning on May 3 is at its peak with more than one lakh pilgrims having registered so far for the pilgrimage.

The Uttarakhand tourism department has made registration of pilgrims for the yatra mandatory this time for their safety and well-being.

The price of 10 grams of 24-carat-gold on Saturday remained unchanged and the yellow metal was trading at Rs 53,780, while the price of 1 kg of silver went down by Rs 300 to trade at Rs 67,100.

The price of 10 grams of 24 carat gold in Banglore and Hyderabad is at par with the price of 10 grams of 24-carat-gold in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata i.e., Rs 53,780.

Soybean oil prices soared to a record high on Friday as Indonesia's decision to effectively ban exports of palm oil heightened concerns about already depleted global supplies of alternative vegetable oils.

The loss of shipments from Ukraine, the world's top supplier of sunflower oil, and drought in the world's top soybean oil exporter Argentina had already sparked a sharp rise in global vegetable oil prices.

After facing fines from European consumer and market regulators, Google has introduced an equal "Reject all" and "Accept all" buttons for tracking cookies on its platforms.

Anyone visiting Search and YouTube in Europe, while signed out or in Incognito Mode, will see a new cookie consent choice.

Adani Power entered the list of top-50, most valued companies, in terms of market captialisation (market cap), in the country as the stock price of company more-than-doubled in the past one month.

The Gautam Adani-led Adani Group Company, engaged in the electric utilities business hit a new high of Rs 259.20, on gaining 5 per cent on the BSE in Friday's intra-day trade. With today's rally, the stock has zoomed 109 per cent in the past one month from a level of Rs 123.75.

With 2,451 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,30,52,425, while the active cases increased to 14,241, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll climbed to 5,22,116 with 54 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

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