A day after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia sought Central funds to fight coronavirus, the Delhi BJP on Sunday hit out at the AAP government expressing surprise that despite passing a Rs 65,000-crore budget it was unable to buy personal protective equipment (PPE). The BJP's East Delhi MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir accused the Arvind Kejriwal government of shedding crocodile tears and playing the victim card over the issue. Delhi government on March 23 passed a budget of Rs 65,000 c

The country's second largest national oil marketer Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd has developed a novel technology to test the quality of crude oil at a fraction of the cost and time that it takes now through the lengthy lab tests. The technology, which has a number of patents including those from the US and the EU, is a 'crude horoscope predictor tool' called BPMarrk, which can optimise varied properties from the crude. The company is also in talks with leading international players in the crude ass

Researchers have unearthed fossils of a new bird species in six to nine million-year-old rocks in western China, a finding that points to dry, arid habitats near the edge of the Tibetan Plateau as it rose to its current extreme altitude. The researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said the bird is a species of sandgrouse -- a group of 16 species of birds related to doves and pigeons that live in some of the most arid areas across Europe, Asia, and Africa. According to their study publis

Torrent Pharma has said that its promoters have not pledged any equity shares they hold in the company for any purpose, and a surveillance action by stock exchanges was not warranted. The promoters are obligated to hold a minimum 26 per cent shares and management control of Torrent Pharma during the period of loans the company has taken, it said. The company was commenting on reports of the National Stock Exchange shortlisting five companies, including Torrent Pharmaceuticals, with higher levels

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has said that Rohit Sharma reminded him of Pakistan batting legend Inzamam-ul-Haq in his early days. The flamboyant India vice-captain made his ODI debut in June 2007 while his maiden T20 game came during the World Cup later that year against England, where unfortunately Rohit didn't get a chance to bat. Asked about his first impression of Rohit, Yuvraj said the swashbuckling batsman seemed like somebody who had a lot of time to play his strokes. I think when

State-owned Indian Bank on Sunday said its 43,000 employees have voluntarily donated their one day's salary, amounting to Rs 8.10 crore, towards the PM-CARES Fund to fight the COVID-19 crisis. The bank's 43,000 employees have shown their commitment to the nation by voluntarily contributing one day's salary totalling to Rs 8.10 crore to the PM-CARES Fund towards control of COVID-19 in the country, according to a statement. Separately, LIC-owned IDBI Bank said it has donated Rs 3.9 crore towards t

Months after getting back together, Hollywood star Channing Tatum and singer Jessie J have broken up for the second time. The duo, who reunited in January following a month-long split, have parted ways again. A source told People magazine that the break-up was otally amicable. They cared enough about each other to try again but realised it was better to move on, the insider added. The Domino singer, 32, and the Magic Mike star, 39, got back together in January after splitting in December 2019 a

Triveni Super Market, which operates under the Kerala State Co-operatives Consumers' Federation Ltd (Consumerfed), has launched 12 supermarkets on wheels to deliver essential commodities amid lockdown.It has also started home delivery of essential items.We currently operate 12 mobile supermarkets in Thiruvananthapuram that deliver all essential items to people. It is carried out with the support of Resident Associations. Considering the demand, Triveni also has started home delivery and we have

An Empowered Committe constitued by the Centre and chaired by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog has opened up cross-sectoral dialogue within the private sector and start ups to engender collaboration among them to produce health equipment and Personnel Protective Equipment (PPEs).The Empowered Group number six has been constituted to address the issues pertaining to identification of problems, effective solutions and formulation of plans with three groups of stakeholders - The UN agencies, World Ban

Four people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi's Nizamuddin area have tested positive for coronavirus in Mewat district, Haryana on Sunday. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in the Mewat district climbed to seven.The Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi has emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases from across India were linked to the gathering including deaths in Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana.Earlier, Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Minist

The ICMR Director General has written to the Health Secretary, asking her to disseminate in states and Union territories the advisory to start rapid antibody based blood tests for COVID-19. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday issued the advisory to start rapid antibody based blood tests for COVID-19 in areas reporting clusters and in large migration gatherings or evacuee centres. Overall testing for COVID-19 using real-time RT PCR is increasing and we will be approaching fu

The total number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 122 with 14 new patients being reported on Sunday, including 10 having link to the religious congregation recently organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi, a health department official said. The state also reported death of a 61-year-old woman, who was admitted to a hospital in Surat on Saturday and tested positive of coronavirus. She was also suffering from diabetes, the official said. Out of the 14 new cases reported on Sunda

The Indian macroeconomic situation is bleak and all set to get worse if local or national lockdowns continue for some more time, renowned economist Jean Dreze said on Sunday. Dreze further said that due to the country-wide lockdown, social unrest in many parts of India has already started. The country is under a 21-day lockdown as part of larger efforts to curb spreading of coronavirus infections. The situation is bleak and all set to get worse, if local or national lockdowns of varying intensit

The walk through enclosure is designed for personnel decontamination, one person at a time.

Villagers of Paniyala, Roorkee were put under home quarantine by authorities after an individual who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi returned to the village and was tested positive for COVID-19.Police have been deputed in the village to ensure that villagers don't violate quarantine in order to prevent the spread of the contagion.The Tablighi Jamaat religious gathering in Delhi has emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases across India were linked to the gatherin

Ecuador's vice president Otto Sonnenholzner has apologized after scores of bodies were left on the streets of Guayaquil as the coronavirus ravages the horror-struck port city. Residents had published videos on social media showing abandoned bodies in the streets in the Latin American city worst hit by the pandemic. Authorities collected at least 150 corpses from streets and homes earlier this week, but did not confirm how many of the dead were victims of the outbreak. We have seen images that sh

A 20-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by his friend over monetary dispute in northwest Delhi's Bharat Nagar area, police said on Sunday. Imran Kahn, a resident of J J Colony in Wazirpur was sitting with his friends in the locality on Saturday night when Feroz opened fire at him and fled from the spot, a police officer said. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital by his father where he was declared dead by the doctors. The hospital authorities police informed the police that the victim di

In order to help create a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, pop diva Madonna has pledged to support the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The 61-year-old singer released a statement on her official website on Friday, saying she was impressed by the foundation, owned by the business magnate-philanthropist, which is working towards funding seven different research labs to find a cure for COVID-19. I'm joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation effort to find a drug that will prevent or treat CO

A suspected coronavirus patient allegedly attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the AIIMS Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre building in the national capital on Sunday.However, the man escaped with a fractured leg and is now in a stable condition. The suspected COVID-19 patient had jumped off from the third floor of the trauma centre in the morning today.The report of the coronavirus test of the man is still pending.More details in this regard are awaited.

Check the spread of the coronavirus pandemic across states in India in this interactive map

The number of cases tested positive for COVID-19 has reached 337 in Afghanistan, spokesman for Public Health Ministry Wahidullah Mayar said on Sunday.According to Mayar, 38 new positive cases including 10 in Kabul affected with COVID-19 have been confirmed in the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the number to 337.Seven patients have died due to the virus since the outbreak of the infection in the country in mid-February, and 12 others have recovered, he added.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed that there are not enough coronavirus testing kits for people, and termed it a real challenge in the fight against the viral infection. Not enough testing kits for people. Not enough personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. Not enough meals to feed the poor. These are the real challenges today, he said in a tweet. Yadav also said in Hindi, Think, how anyone will get external brightness by extinguishing their inner light ('Socho

ICICI Bank has donated as many as 16,000 masks and 1000 gloves to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel deployed at metro stations in Delhi.I would like to place on record our sincere thanks, appreciation and valuable support rendered by ICICI Bank by providing much-needed masks and gloves to our personnel deployed in DMRC during this hour of need (16,000 masks and 10,000 gloves approximately), the letter by Sudhir Kumar, Inspector General read.The @ICICIBank has donated 16000 m

Former chief minister of Jammu and KashmirOmar Abdullah on Sunday showered praise on Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, apparently for the way the latter is handling the COVID-19 situation in his state. UddhavThackeray has been a revelation, Omar tweeted. The Maharashtra chief minister, the first Thackeray to rule the state, has been lauded on various social media platforms for the way he is handling the COVID-19 situation despite the state having high number of positive cases. Maharas

According to Study Abroad counsellors, the situation looks grim and might affect long term plans for many.

Amid the growing concern over the shortage of protective gear as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, self-help groups (SHGs) in Odisha have manufactured over one million masks for distribution among people. At least 400 SHGs - under the Odisha governments Mission Shakti programme - have come forward to make around 50,000 masks every day, as part of its efforts to help the state government in its fight against the dreaded viral disease, a senior official here said. SHGs in the state have risen to th

Opposing any further curbs on 'complementary' non-audit services provided by auditors to companies, several industry bodies have told the government that the existing framework in this regard is adequate and benchmarked with the best global practices. They have said there are sufficient safeguards in place with regard to the currently permissible non-audit services provided by auditors to their clients and any further restrictions or any addition to the restricted list would increase the cost of

Of the total cases in the state, 72 are of local transmission, 33 patients have foreign travel history and 17 have inter-state travel history

The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all states to ensure that harvesting and sowing operations go on smoothly in the country during the lockdown, informed Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy on Sunday.The Ministry has also asked states to allow establishments that are core to the agriculture sector to operate during the lockdown.MHA directed states to ensure smooth harvesting & sowing operations and allow establishments that are core to the agriculture sector, truck re

Samples of a 60-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man who died here in Maharashtra on Saturday have come out positive for coronavirus, an official said on Sunday. The woman, who had some co-morbid conditions,was recently discharged from Pune's Naidu hospital after she tested negative for coronavirus there. On Saturday early morning, the woman was brought to the Sassoon Hospital where she was declared brought dead. After realising that she had gone to Naidu Hospital where she tested negative for c

The Independent Member Federation Sanctions Panel (IMFSP) of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has imposed disciplinary sanctions on Thailand and Malaysia and banned both the countries to from participating in weightlifting events at the Tokyo Olympics.The IMFPS also suspended the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association (TAWA) for three years, while the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) has been given a one-year ban.The Membership status of TAWA is suspended for a period of

A 52-year-old COVID-19 patient passed away at Pune's Sassoon Hospital on Sunday, according to the Pune Health Officials.This is the second death reported today, taking the total deaths in Pune district to four.The patient had a history of diabetes, officials further stated.Earlier, samples from a 60-year-old woman who was brought dead at Sassoon Hospital tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The woman was admitted last week on suspicions of being COVID-19 positive but was later discharged f

Zookeeper Jeff Lowe, who appeared on Netflix's Tiger King, has revealed that the streaming platform will be releasing an extra episode of the hit documentary-series. Lowe revealed the news in a video shared on Twitter by professional baseball team, Los Angeles Dodgers player Justin Turner. Netflix is adding one more episode. It will be on next week. They're filming here tomorrow, Lowe said. Netflix released Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness on March 26. Penned and directed by Eric Goode and

I will leave this room within a week after defeating you, the braveheart nurse had vowed after contracting the deadly coronavirus while attending to India's oldest COVID-19 survior, expressing unflinching faith in Kerala's health care system. Last Friday, 32-year old Reshma Mohandas lived up to her promise and walked out holding her head high to her home, where she is now placed under 14-day quarantine, after she and the elderly man and his were discharged from the Medical College Hospital here

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday announced that all personnel at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and its 13 related offices will contribute their one day salary, approximately around Rs 1.14 crore, to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund.All officers & staff of MOEFCC and its 13 Attached/Subordinate/Autonomous office pledged to contribute one day's salary around Rs 1.14 cr to PM CARES Fund launched by PM Naren

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call, locals in Patna on Sunday visited potters' shops to buy diyas (earthen lamps).I have bought 50 diyas for today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that people have to light the diyas for nine minutes after switching off light at home, Vikas Kumar, a resident of Patna, told ANI.Sushila Devi, who sells diyas said: People are buying 10, 20 and 50 diyas. The Prime Minister has asked people to light diyas.Amid a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Prime Min

The new administrative block of Kasaragod Medical College will soon be converted into a COVID-19 hospital for providing better treatment facilities to the coronavirus patients.A team constituting 26 doctors and medical staff of the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram will join the efforts of converting the new administrative block into a COVID-19 Hospital in Kasaragod on Sunday.The group will coordinate the operations of the COVID-19 hospital, train staff and treat patients. The hospi

Singer Katy Perry, who is expecting her first child with actor Orlando Bloom, has revealed that they are set to welcome a baby girl. The 35-year-old singer shared the news on Instagram on Friday. It's a girl, Perry captioned a picture of Bloom, 43, with his face covered in pink icing. It included Beyonce's all-time hit Girls Run the World in the post. The Firework hitmaker, who opened the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Melbourne last month, had earlier her wish of giving birth to a gi

Removal of sand deposits from agricultural fields after floods will not require green clearance now, with the Centre amending the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. In its notification, the Ministry of Environment has said that extraction of ordinary clay or sand by manual mining, by the 'kumhars' (potter) to prepare earthen pots, extraction of clay or sand by manual mining by earthen tile makers shall be exempted from the condition of acquiring environmental clearance. The Min

The Sindh provincial government in Pakistan will file a criminal appeal in the Supreme Court against a lower court's verdict overturning the death sentence of the prime accused and acquittal of three others in the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002, according to a media report. The Sindh High Court on Thursday overturned the death sentence of the prime accused and top al-Qaeda leader Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to seven years in jail and acquitted the three others - Fahad Naseem

About 40,000 crew and seafarers stranded on cargo and cruise vessels across the globe are awaiting return to Indian shores, with the government assuring to extend help once the nationwide lockdown on account of coronavrius outbreak is lifted, maritime bodies have said. There are about 15,000 seafarers onboard about 500 cargo vessels across the globe, and another 25,000 on cruise ships. Maritime bodies like NUSI, MUI and MASSA told PTI they have raised the issue with the Shipping Ministry, which

Vegetable seller Veli Yildirim, 50, said the measures came oo late.

Maharashtra Police personnel on deputation in the CID and ACB have now been called for regular duties as the state police force is facing shortage of manpower in its efforts to strictly enforce the lockdown. Maharashtra Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal issued an order recently, directing the Crime Investigation Department (CID), the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Protection of Civil Rights (PCR) cell, considered as non- regular units, to release the personnel on deputation there. Thes

Pakistan is so unprepared for the fight against coronavirus that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) at the 11th hour had to allocate five graveyards in the city for the burial of infection-related deaths.KMC Graveyard Department Director Iqbal Pervez confirmed to SAMAA Digital that four coronavirus affected bodies have been buried in different graveyards so far.He added that Mayor Wasim Akhtar, in a letter addressed to the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority in Islamabad, also urged f

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to delay the release of its third tranche of the total USD 6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to cash-strapped Pakistan in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to a media report on Sunday. Pakistan in December last had received the second tranche amounting USD 454 million. The delay of the release of the third trance, amounting USD 450 million, will be likely due to the surfacing of new realities on the macroeconomic front fol

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Spike Lee, Pedro Almodovar and other filmmakers will collaborate on exhibitions for the upcoming Academy Museum.After a long period of eight years, since the project was first announced, the Academy Museum will now be open to the public on December 14, reported Variety.The composer of 'Joker' -- Hildur Gudnadottir -- the first woman ever to win the Best Original Score Academy Award, will also collaborate on new exhibits for the m

The duo achieved the feat against West Indies in the third Test at Trinidad.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said the state government continuously monitoring the situation and taking measures to combat COVID-19.State govt is committed to save lives of all in #Rajasthan. We are continuously monitoring situation & taking measures accordingly.From providing treatment,medical facilities to taking care of needs of vulnerable,we are doing everything possible for your safety, Gehlot tweeted.My appeal to all is, please stay at home. During #lockdown your home is

President Donald Trump has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the sale of Hydroxychloroquine tablets ordered by the US to treat the growing number of coronavirus patients in his country, hours after India banned the export of the anti-malarial drug. Trump said he spoke to Prime Minister Modi on Saturday morning and made a request to release Hydroxychloroquine - an old and inexpensive drug used to treat malaria - for the US. I called Prime Minister Modi of India this morning.

People in Moradabad were seeing buying diyas (earthen lamps) to light them at 9 PM today following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal.Neeraj Kumari, a resident of Moradabad said: We are buying diyas since the Prime Minister has appealed to light diyas for nine minutes from 9 PM today. I have bought diyas as they are better than candles.Kamla, who was selling diyas in the area said that several people has visited her shop today.Modi ji has asked people to light diyas, candles and mobile flashl