• Amid rising temperature and heatwave across the country, the Centre has urged states/UTs to review their health facility preparedness for the availability of adequate quantities of essential medicines and all necessary equipment while ensuring sufficient drinking water and continued functioning of cooling appliances in critical areas.

• In a letter to the states/UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan requested them to disseminate the guideline document 'National Action Plan on Heat Related Illnesses' to all districts for effective management of cases of heatwave.

• The letter mentions that from March 1, daily surveillance on heat-related illnesses has been initiated under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in all states and districts.

• Health facilities need to increase resilience to extreme heat by arranging uninterrupted electricity for constant functioning of cooling appliances, installation of solar panels, measures to reduce indoor heat through cool/green roof, window shades, shade outside, among others.

• Rainwater harvesting and recycling plants may also be explored for self sufficiency in water, the letter highlighted.

• States may also utilise Information, Education and Communication (IEC) as well as community level awareness materials regarding the precautions to be taken by the population to safeguard themselves against heat waves, it added.

• Among the don'ts, the Centre has advised people to avoid getting out in the sun, especially between 12 noon and 3 pm, avoid strenuous activities when outside in the afternoon, avoid alcohol, tea, coffee, or drinks with large amount of sugar stating these may lead to loss of more body fluid or cause stomach cramps, avoid high protein food and stale food and not leave children or pets in parked vehicle among others.

• Among the dos, it advised people to stay hydrated, covered, alert, and stay indoors as much as possible.

• For employers and workers, the ministry advised that cool drinking water should be provided at work place and workers should be cautioned to avoid direct sunlight and shaded work area should be provided for workers.

• The letter added that exposure to high outdoor and indoor temperatures can induce heat stress, directly and indirectly, leading to heat-related illnesses like heat rash (prickly heat), heat oedema (swelling of hands, feet and ankles), heat cramps (muscle cramps), heat tetany, heat syncope (fainting), heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide Pakistan with a "sizeable package" of around USD 8 billion to help the cash-starved country bolster dwindling forex reserves and revive its ailing economy.

Pakistan has faced growing economic challenges, with high inflation, sliding forex reserves, a widening current account deficit and a depreciating currency.

Pakistan secured the deal during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia.

The financial package includes doubling of the oil financing facility, additional money either through deposits or Sukuks and rolling over of the existing USD 4.2 billion facilities

Prime Minister Sharif and his official entourage have left Saudi Arabia but Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail is still in the Gulf country to finalise the modalities of the financial package.

Pakistan had proposed doubling the oil facility from USD 1.2 billion to USD 2. 4 billion and Saudi Arabia agreed to it.

It was also agreed that the existing deposits of USD 3 billion would be rolled over for an extended period of up to June 2023.

Saudi Arabia provided USD 3 billion deposits to the State Bank of Pakistan in December 2021 while the Saudi oil facility was operationalised from March 2022, providing Pakistan with USD 100 million to procure oil.

The oil-rich Gulf nation had provided a USD 7.5 billion package to Pakistan during the last tenure of the PML-N government (2013-18).

Under the PTI-led regime headed by ex-prime minister Imran Khan, Saudi Arabia provided a package of USD 4.2 billion, including USD 3 billion deposits and a USD 1.2 billion oil facility for one year and linked it with the IMF programme.

Saudi Arabia has provided an enhanced financial package to Pakistan when its economy is in dire straits and the country is facing a balance of payment crisis.

The country's foreign exchange reserves have depleted by USD 6 billion in the last six to seven weeks and nosedived to USD 10.5 billion.

With the rising current account deficit at USD 13.2 billion in the first nine months and pressing external loan repayment requirements, Pakistan requires financial assistance of USD 9-12 billion till June 2022 to avert further depletion of foreign currency reserves.

• The free trade agreement between India and the UAE has come into effect on May 1 , under which domestic exporters in various sectors like textiles, agriculture, dry fruits, gems and jewellery will get duty-free access to the UAE market.

• In a symbolic gesture for operationalising the agreement, Commerce Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam handed over Certificates of Origin to three exporters from the gems and jewellery sector .

• These consignments to Dubai will not attract any customs duty under the pact, which is officially termed as Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued relevant notifications for the operationalisation of the agreement from May 1.

• The UAE is the second or third largest trading partner of India and that country is a gateway to the middle east, North Africa, Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

• The trade pact will help in taking the two-way trade to USD 100 billion in five years from the existing USD 60 billion.

• The gems and jewellery sector contributes a substantial portion of India's exports to the UAE and is expected to benefit significantly from the tariff concessions obtained for Indian products under this pact.

• Overall, India will benefit from preferential market access provided by the UAE on over 97 per cent of its tariff lines (or goods), which account for 99 per cent of Indian exports to the UAE in value terms -- particularly from labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastics, furniture, and engineering products.

• One of Chennai Super Kings’ favourite party tricks is to keep going back to tried and tested ways. Signing (and retaining) multiple players from the auction pool, sacrificing unproven but exciting players for experience and using spin as an attacking weapon, at least in home games. On  April 30 night, the four-time champions, in time-honoured fashion, appointed MS Dhoni as skipper for the third time.

• Ravindra Jadeja, who was handed the reigns on a permanent basis before this year’s edition, decided to step down to focus ‘more on his game’. 

• Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu was left in tears after an "unfair" call by the umpires midway through her semifinal match against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi derailed her dream of winning a gold at the Badminton Asia Championships.

• Leading 14-11 in the second game after having won the first game, Sindhu was handed a point penalty for taking too much time to serve between points.

• The 26-year-old from Hyderabad lost her momentum after that incident, losing 21-13 19-21 16-21 to eventually sign off with a bronze medal, her second in the continental individual championship.

• Sindhu was seen having an animated discussion with the chief referee after the chair umpire asked her to hand over the shuttle to her opponent but it all fell on deaf ears.

• There were also speculations of Sindhu not accepting the bronze after she skipped the medal ceremony but the star herself put those to rest with a tweet and a candid picture of her posing with medal.

• India does not dream of its own rise at the cost of others and the welfare of entire humanity is linked with the country's progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on May 1 .

• Addressing via video link an event at the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre in Canada's Markham where Sardar Patel's statue was unveiled, Modi said this statue will not only strengthen "our cultural values but will also become a symbol of the relationship between the two countries".

• "India is that high-level thought which talks about 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)," he said, adding the country does not dream of its own rise at the cost of others.

• India wishes for the welfare of the entire humanity and the whole world, he said.

• On issues like sustainable development and climate change, India's voice represents the entire humanity, Modi said.

• He said the Sanatan Mandir in Canada or any other country enriches the values of that country also.

• When 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years on India's Independence)' is celebrated in Canada, that is a celebration of shared democratic values, Modi said.

• Terming the location and statue of Sardar Patel there a broad picture of a 'New India', the prime minister said the freedom fighters dreamt of an India that would be modern and progressive and, also deeply connected with its thinking, and philosophy and its roots.

• That is why in newly Independent India, Sardar Patel restored the Somnath temple to commemorate the legacy of thousands of years, the Modi said.

• The replica of the 'Statue of Unity' in Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre means that India's Amrit pledges are not confined to its own boundaries, Modi said.

• This pledge is spreading globally, connecting the world, he added.

• The prime minister reiterated the global dimension of the 'Amrit pledges' and said that when "we talk of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, we talk of opening new possibilities of progress for the world".

• Similarly, in the propagation of Yoga, a feeling of everyone being disease-free is inherent, he said and called for an enhanced role of the Indian diaspora in taking this message forward.

• Elaborating on the depth of Indian ethos and values in the diaspora, the prime minister also said that Indians might live anywhere in the world for any number of generations but their Indianness and loyalty towards India never diminishes.

• Indians, he said, work with full dedication and integrity for the county of their domicile and carry their democratic values and sense of duty with them.

• This is because "India is not only a nation but also an idea, it is also a culture", Modi added.

• The Punjab School Education Board has banned three books for allegedly distorting facts related to Sikh history.

• Punjab Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said action will be taken against writers and publishers for allegedly distorting facts related to Sikh history in the books.

• The minister said the main objective of the government is to provide good education to students and also to make them aware of the history of Gurus, the Sikh world and Punjab.

• The books which have been banned are 'Modern ABC of history of Punjab', written by Manjit Singh Sodhi; 'History of Punjab', written by Mahinderpal Kaur; and 'History of Punjab' by M S Mann, for class 12.

• These books have been published by three different Jalandhar-based publishers.

• The decision to ban these books was taken following a report by an inquiry committee.

• The committee was formed following a complaint by farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa, who had said that these books contained some remarks which were not in accordance with Sikh history.

• Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso announced on April 29  had decreed a state of emergency for two months in three provinces with the highest registered levels of violence due to drug trafficking.

• Under the state of emergency, he had ordered the mobilization of 4,000 police and 5,000 military personnel to the provinces. A curfew will also be enforced between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am for certain areas, such as the town of Duran, located near the port of Guayaquil.

• In February, two bodies were discovered suspended from a pedestrian bridge in Duran, a method similar to Mexican cartel crimes.

• Drug trafficking in Ecuador has led to an increase in crime, which has left 1,255 people dead since the start of the year, according to official figures. About 440 crimes have occurred in Guayaquil, the country's commercial center and the provincial capital of Guayas, and Duran.

• Since February 2021, there have also been several massacres in Ecuador between imprisoned gang members linked to drug trafficking, resulting in 350 deaths.