Here are the top developments from India and around the world: 1 INDIA COVID-19 death toll rose to 559 in India while the number of cases now stands at 17,656, as per health ministry data on Monday evening.

The MHA today said the COVID-19 situation is "especially serious" in Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata and a few other places in West Bengal, and warned that violation of lockdown measures risks the spread of the novel coronavirus further. A Chinese embassy spokesperson has said that India's new policy for foreign direct investment (FDI) from specific countries violate WTO's principle of non-discrimination and is against the general trend of free trade. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind appeals to Muslims to follow lockdown norms during Ramzan. Centre asked states, UTs to strictly comply with COVID-19 lockdown guidelines, not dilute them. The government is unlikely to exempt GST on medical items like ventilators, PPEs, masks, test kits and sanitisers, as it would lead to blocked input tax credit (ITC), thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing and increase the price for consumers, sources said. MHA took strong objection to Kerala government's decision to allow opening of restaurants, bus travel in cities and opening of MSME industries, saying it amounts to dilution of its lockdown guidelines. Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri clarified that restrictions on domestic and international flights will be lifted when the government is confident that spread of coronavirus has been controlled, and poses no danger to Indians. The Department of Biotechnology has so far short-listed three companies for funding the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, besides 13 other proposals it received for diagnostics, therapeutics and other interventions to fight coronavirus. 2 STATES The Kerala government on Monday said there was some "misunderstanding", due to which the Centre had objected to dilution of the lockdown protocol.

Sixteen high-risk contacts of infected Delhi pizza delivery agent test negative.

Two more persons died of coronavirus in Rajasthan while 57 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. The NCW seeks strict action in a case where a pregnant woman was turned away from Jamshedpur hospital. Three more persons died of coronavirus in Indore in the last 24 hours, taking the toll in the Madhya Pradesh district to 52; COVID-19 cases reach 897. The Assam government deposits Rs 2,000 each to the accounts of 86,000 Assamese people stranded in other states. No relaxation in lockdown restrictions in Lucknow, Agra and Firozabad in UP. Newborn tests positive for COVID-19 in Rajasthan's Nagaur. A bright red robot at the district collectorate in Bulandshahr, UP is helping people maintain social distancing and minimise spread of coronavirus by dispensing sanitiser to staff and visitors. A group of activists has taken the initiative of providing food to monkeys starving along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway here in Maharashtra. 3 WORLD Indian-American Dr Madhvi Aya, who contracted the coronavirus in the line of duty in New York, could only exchange text messages with her husband and daughter from her hospital bed before she lost the battle to the deadly virus. China's new confirmed coronavirus cases dropped to 12 with eight of them reported from Chinese nationals coming from abroad, taking the total tally to 82,747. Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim decides to auction his bat to raise funds for the COVID-19 relief work in his country. The US has carried out more tests for the novel coronavirus pandemic than 10 other countries, including India, taken together, President Donald Trump says. Show 'self-discipline', stay indoors to combat COVID-19: Pak PM Imran advises people. Coronavirus has killed nearly 170 and infected 8,516 people in the country. In an annual report by Tel Aviv University researchers on anti-Semitism, Israeli researchers have said that the global coronavirus outbreak has sparked a rise in anti-Semitic expression blaming Jews for the spread of the disease and the economic recession it has caused. The US wants to send a team of experts to China to investigate the coronavirus, President Donald Trump has said, a day after he warned Beijing of "consequences" if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of COVID-19. A pregnant Indian-origin doctor has staged a protest outside British prime minister's office at 10 Downing Street against the persistent shortage of personal protective equipment, mainly surgical gowns, for the UK's National Health Service medics amid the coronavirus lockdown. UAE to operate special flights to bring back Emiratis from India. Record 1,426 new cases in Singapore, mostly foreign workers affected.

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday said that the rate of doubling of Covid-19 infections in India has slowed to 7.5 days as compared to 3.4 days before the lockdown. But despite the improvement in doubling rate, the situation remains serious in several key cities like Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Jaipur and Kolkata where large-scale lockdown violations have been observed. Meanwhile, the worldwide death toll due to coronavirus now stands at 166,271.