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02 May 2021; MEMO: Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Saturday Tehran expects US sanctions on oil, banks and most individuals and institutions to be lifted based on agreements so far in Vienna talks, Iranian media reported, while Washington again played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough, Reuters reported.

New Delhi, May 1 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced an extension of the ongoing lockdown in Delhi by another week on Saturday amid a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases as the national capital battles an acute shortage of beds and medical oxygen in its hospitals.

"Lockdown in Delhi is being extended by one week," Kejriwal said in a tweet.

The lockdown that was scheduled to be in force till 5 am on Monday now stands extended by another week till May 10.

Jerusalem, May 2 (PTI) Israel barred its citizens from travelling to India and six other countries, citing high COVID infection rates there.

In a joint press release issued by the Israel Prime Minister's Office and the Health Ministry on Friday, it was said that Israelis will not be allowed to travel to Ukraine, Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa, India, Mexico and Turkey.

This regulation will come into force on May 3 and will remain in place until May 16.

New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) State Bank of India (SBI) will try to keep the interest rates benign as long as possible with a view to supporting the economic growth, its chairman Dinesh Kumar Khara has said.

On the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 on non-performing assets of the bank, the SBI chief said that as the lockdown was not pan-India, one will have to wait and watch to assess its impact on the banking sector.

New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) As many as 462 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, have been hit by cost overruns totalling more than Rs 4.36 lakh crore, according to a report.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Of the 1,737 such projects, 462 reported cost overruns and 557 were delayed.

Mumbai, May 2 (PTI) Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla has said he will return to India from London in a few days.

Poonawalla made the announcement soon after he spoke out about the pressures he was under over the production of COVID-19 vaccines to meet the ever-increasing demand in India as the country battles through a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

30 Apr 2021; MEMO: The World Bank approved a new four-year strategy for Palestine that puts emphasis on protecting lives and creating new job opportunities for Palestinians amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Palestinian economy is projected to grow by only 3.7 per cent annually between now and 2025, according to a new UN study, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to limit economic recovery and growth globally.

30 Apr 2021; MEMO: Iran has welcomed a "change of tone" from Saudi Arabia, as both countries seem to be open to taking steps to calm tensions and improve cooperation

In a statement yesterday by the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said that "by adopting constructive stances…the two countries…can enter a new chapter of interaction and cooperation to reach peace, stability and regional development, by overcoming differences."

Bengaluru, May 1 (PTI): Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday said there is no proposal before the State government to impose a stringent lockdown though he admitted that at least three to four weeks of strict measures were required to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

"There is no proposal before the government to impose a complete lockdown. We want people to strictly follow the regulations," he told reporters in Kalaburagi.

He was reacting to a query on open defiance of lockdown at various places.

30 Apr 2021; MEMO: Recent reports about the suspension of an agreement between Russia and Sudan on establishing a naval base in the African state are "baseless", the Russian embassy in Khartoum announced yesterday.