Newspaper Headlines: China-return Indians Placed Under Close Watch, Other Stories

Hindustan Times: At least 25 Indian students who have returned from colleges in China are under close watch for symptoms of a deadly Coronavirus that has taken lives of over 20 people in the country, the daily reported. The new virus has triggered a global health alarm worldwide and forced authorities across the globe to step up efforts to restrict the spread of the virus. The daily's front page also carries Chief Justice of India SA Bobde's comment over the practice of filing petitions by the convicts on death row to delay executions. He said that courts should not focus only on the rights of the accused but also of the victims.

Times of India: The daily reports that 25 Indian students, of whom 20 are from Kerala, are trapped in Wuhan after the Chinese city of 11 million was locked down to contain the spread of a new strain of a coronavirus. The paper also carries a report on Home Minister Amit Shah putting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in one club. While flagging off his Delhi poll campaigning, Mr Shah said all three sing the same tune and oppose everything done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the daily reported.

Deccan Herald: A total of 644 militants of eight banned insurgent outfits surrendered with their arms in Assam on Thursday, the daily reported on its front page. The daily also carries how more than a lakh farmers have been left in a lurch as insurance claims, on the loss of crops due to floods, have been held up due to a dispute over the premium. The authorities have blamed issues with the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY) for the delay in the release of the insurance claims.

The Telegraph: The daily reported the first major legal victory for Rohingya refugees on its front page. The International Court of Justice on Thursday ordered Myanmar to take emergency measures to protect its Rohingya Muslims from genocide. The Myanmar government, however, has denied genocide against Rohingya. After the ruling, the country's government countered by saying that there has been "no genocide in Rakhine" - the state from which most of the Muslim-minority group hails.