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How the 2020 Presidential Campaign Is Starting to Resume

As fears of the novel coronavirus spread through the U.S., the high-contact tradition of presidential campaigning came to a halt. WSJ's Gerald F. Seib explains what Americans may see as campaigning resumes. Photo: Shutterstock/Zuma Press




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Adani Enterprises incorporates subsidiary to manage road project

Adani Enterprises on Friday (8 May) said it has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary company, "Nanasa Pidgaon Road" on 8 May 2020.




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Roadside bomb kills 6 Pakistani troops

At least six security personnel, including an Army major, were killed on Friday when a roadside bomb struck a patrol vehicle in a remote area in southwestern Pakistan, close to the border with Iran. The Army said in a statement that a vehicle of paramilitary Frontier Corps was targeted through a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) in Kech district's Buleda area, about 14 km from the Iran border. A major and five soldier embraced shahadat while one soldier was injured, according to army. No one took responsibility but Baloch militants often target the security forces in the province. It is the first major attack on the forces in Balochistan since the outbreak of COVID-19.




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NY State cites COVID-19 in presidential primary appeal

An appeals court should let a June 23 primary election in New York state proceed without voters and poll workers being forced to risk exposure to the coronavirus to vote for a Democratic candidate for president when the race is essentially over, lawyers for the state said Friday. The written arguments were filed by Attorney General Letitia James and Senior Assistant Solicitor Judith N. Vale after a judge ordered the state to include the presidential race on the ballot even though former Vice President Joe Biden is essentially running unopposed. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan has scheduled oral arguments for next Friday. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres said it was unconstitutional to eliminate the Democratic presidential primary after delegates for withdrawn candidates Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang complained that doing so weakens their standing at the Democratic Convention. She noted that a primary for contested races across New York state was ...




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AC Milan president says some players recovering from coronavirus

AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni has revealed that some of his squad members were still recovering from coronavirus. Serie A has been on hold since mid-March but Italian Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Thursday he was hopeful group training could resume on May 18. "We have some infected players in the process of recovery," Scaroni told local media. Scaroni believes Italian football must live with COVID-19 and take an example from the Bundesliga which will restart on May 16. "We have to get used to living with the virus and this also applies to football," he said. "It is not possible to stand still until there is zero infection. Basically we can adopt the German formula that provides that those who are sick go into quarantine while their teammates continue." Milan technical director Paolo Maldini, together with his 18-year-old son Daniel, a youth team player, have both recovered from the virus. "Maldini father and son are doing well. There are players who are improving, but .




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Batra gets extension as FIH President after world's body's Congress postponed to May next year

Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra's tenure as the chief of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has been extended till May next year after its annual congress was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to postpone the Congress, which was earlier scheduled to begin in New Delhi on October 28, was taken at an online meeting of the FIH Executive Board on Friday. "I'm looking forward to the numerous tournaments and competitions ahead of us, which we are preparing with full dedication and passion with all National Associations involved," Batra said. The exact date of the postponed congress will be confirmed as soon as possible, the FIH said in a statement. "This decision, made due to the current uncertainties following the global COVID-19 pandemic, is based on Art. 12.1 of the FIH Statutes, covering cases of force majeure," it added. The postponement means the tenures of all the current FIH office-bearers get extension until next year's ...




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Coronavirus strikes staffers inside the White House

Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary has the coronavirus, the White House said, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide, said he was not worried about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex. Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller, who tested positive Friday, had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president. She is married to Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser. The White House had no immediate comment on whether Stephen Miller had been tested or if he was still working in the White House. Katie Miller had tested negative Thursday, a day before her positive result. This is why the whole concept of tests aren't necessarily great, Trump said. The tests are perfect but something can happen between a test where it's good and then something ...




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Egypt's president expands powers, citing virus outbreak

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday approved amendments to the country's state of emergency that grant him and security agencies additional powers, which the government says are needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. An international rights group condemned the amendments, saying the government has used the global pandemic to expand, not reform, Egypt's abusive Emergency Law. The new amendments allow the president to to take measures to contain the virus, such as suspending classes at schools and universities and quarantining those returning from abroad. But they also include expanded powers to ban public and private meetings, protests, celebrations and other forms of assembly. The government has waged an unprecedented crackdown on dissent since 2013, when el-Sissi rose to power, and unauthorized protests have been banned for years. The amendments also allow military prosecutors to investigate incidents when army officers are tasked with law enforcement or when the .




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Reconsider home delivery of liquor, wives of Cong leaders urge Punjab CM

Fearing a surge in cases of domestic violence, wives of two Punjab Congress leaders, including a cabinet minister, have urged Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to reconsider his government's decision of allowing home delivery of liquor. The state government had allowed the home delivery of liquor during the third phase of the coronavirus lockdown from Thursday. Though there is no provision for it in the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 and the excise rules, the decision was taken to ensure social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh too on Thursday had said that the opening of liquor shops will lead to an increase in domestic violence. Expressive reservations about the decision, Mamta Ashu, a Ludhaina councillor and wife of Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, on Saturday said the fight against drugs was an election promise of the Congress due to which the decision needed a rethink. It might lead to increase in cases of




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Social distancing while making films and in movies? Insiders wonder how to make it work

The making of a movie without large crews and outdoor shoots and movies themselves sans party scenes, background dancers or even the staple romantic clinches that could be the existential crisis facing mainstream cinema in the immediate post-corona world. Bollywood, after all, has always been about people, whether on screen or off it, in front of the camera or behind it, say industry insiders as they grapple with the uncertainties of life and work after lockdown and contemplate the dimensions of a radical makeover. Filmmaking has always been a collaborative effort with hundreds of people working in tandem to translate the written word into images but that may change. Producers and directors also wonder how they will manage social distancing with a large crew once they are back on sets. According to actor-producer Sanjay Suri, there will be behavioural changes on the sets and "cinematic intimacy will take time to return". "Not because of lack of ideas but purely behavioural changes on




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ICICI Bank Q4 consolidated profit up 6.91 pc to Rs 1,251 cr; sets aside Rs 2k-cr for virus impact

ICICI Bank on Saturday reported a 6.91 per cent growth in March quarter net at Rs 1,251 crore on a consolidated basis, after setting aside over Rs 2,000 crore in provisions for potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On a standalone basis, the second largest private sector bank's profit grew 26 per cent to Rs 1,221 crore as against Rs 969 crore in the year-ago period. For fiscal year 2019-20, it reported a 135 per cent jump in standalone profit to Rs 7,930.81 crore. From an asset quality perspective, the bank reported an improvement in gross non-performing assets (NPAs) ratio to 5.53 per cent as against 6.70 per cent in the year-ago period and 5.95 per cent as of December 2019, despite over Rs 5,300 crore in fresh slippages during the reporting quarter. ICICI Bank President Sandeep Batra said it had slippages of Rs 4,300 crore in the preceding December quarter, and the additions on this front can be attributed to two accounts -- a West Asian healthcare company and a Singaporean oil




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Cops thrashed by hoodlums outside minister's house'

Four policemen, including an assistant sub inspector, were injured when a group of men attacked them in Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan on Friday night. The incident occurred in Chhoti Sadri area near the house of the state Cooperative Minister Udai Lal Anjana with the BJP alleging that Anjana too slapped a policeman, a charge denied by the minister. A former up-sarpanch Kanhaiya Lal had a spat with some youths in Kesunda village over some petty issue. After some time, the youths caught Kanhaiya Lal and thrashed him, police said. On information, a team of four policemen, led by ASI Shishupal Singh, rushed to the spot where the members from Kanhaiya Lal hit them. The policemen got injured. The ASI has received critical injuries, Chhoti Sadri police station's SHO Ravindra Pratap Singh said. Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria wrote a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday alleging that the minister, Udai Lal Anjana slapped a police constable after which the mob present .




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Tara Reade Says Biden Should Quit Presidential Race

Tara Reade, who has accused former Vice President Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her, said the presumptive Democratic nominee “should not be running” for president, in her first on-camera interview since Mr. Biden denied the allegations. Photo: Megyn Kelly/Associated Press




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Residents using rule of law to secure justice


Hasmukh Dhumadia narrates his experience of helping the local residents of a village in Gujarat in their fight for environmental justice.




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President Kalam, please listen


Six leading advocates of decentralisation and people centred planning met the President of India on 20 April to impress upon him that the Interlinking of Rivers project as currently being envisaged is the wrong direction for the country to take. They have since written a letter to Dr.Kalam addressing his questions.




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President Mukherjee must reject the Food Security ordinance


It is an opportunity for the President to assert the authority and independence of his office by rejecting a clearly political move that is a slap in the face of constitutional morality, writes Nitin Pai.




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Rush Limbaugh Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

First lady Melania Trump presented radio personality Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during President Trump’s State of the Union speech. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images




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'The BJP's base is shifting to the countryside'

In a no-holds-barred conversation, Chandan Mitra, editor and managing director of The Pioneer, member of the Rajya Sabha and BJP supporter, tells Savera R Someshwar that the blame for the failure lies squarely at the party's door.




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In Greece, a Radical Triangular House Brings the Outdoors Inside

Greek architect Tilemachos Andrianopoulos provides a tour of his design: a triangular home that blurs the line between inside and the olive grove outside. "Even for a completely new structure, there is always something that already exists there," he says. Photo: Rob Alcaraz/The Wall Street Journal




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Inside Adobe’s Colorful, Redesigned Headquarters

Adobe’s headquarters in San Jose might not be what you expect from the outside–shades of gray granite. Inside, however, Gensler redesigned the space to reflect Adobe’s colorful brand, complete with a floor dedicated to Photoshop. Photo: Adobe




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Unacceptable underside of 'deterrence by punishment'


India's doctrine of 'deterrence by punishment' is least credible in the most likely scenario of Pakistani nuclear use. But the tenets of this doctrine are not above revision, and times of relative peace offer a better opportunity to find the way forward, says Firdaus Ahmed.




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Organic : to combat pesticide residues


Kasturi Das makes a strategic case for a shift to organic agriculture in India.




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These food subsidies inflate prices


Why is it that large expenditure on food subsidy in India does not achieve more in reducing undernourishment? At a New Delhi public hearing earlier this year, Dr. Amartya Sen addressed this question.




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Oil subsidy is all gas


Far from subsidising the public, governments made the aam admi bear a substantial part of their expenditure on the production and sale of fuels, writes Kannan Kasturi.




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Think outside the barrel


Global oil prices have risen dramatically, and nationalised oil companies have been crying themselves hoarse over the government's reluctance to correspondingly increase retail prices. The sensible long term alternative is to move beyond fossil fuels, with clear policy initiatives. The India Together editorial.




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Cry, the beloved countryside


The agrarian crisis in Vidarbha has spun almost out of control. Appeals for swift measures by many have fallen on deaf ears. The farm suicides are the tip of the huge crisis raging here, not its whole. They are, though, its most powerful symbol, writes P Sainath.




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Cash inside pens and gift cards: Challenges before the Election Commission


There is a lot that happens in the background to make sure that every Indian election - like the just concluded Bihar assembly election - is conducted fairly, freely and peacefully. Smarak Swain, who was on election duty in Bihar reports on the challenges faced by the Election Commission of India and how it is overcoming them effectively.




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The other side of the dam


With the damming of the rivers has come a great wave of unaccountable administration. Waters are held back without warning, and released without warning. In both cases, there is little time for the affected communities to react. Shripad Dharmadhikary writes.




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Remembering Ananthamurthy, the critical insider


UR Ananthamurthy's brutally honest stance on Brahmanism, or in fact on any of the subjects that concerned him, has been fiercely debated in his life and death. In a tribute to the recently deceased stalwart of public thinking, Prakash Belawadi seeks to find clues to his inquiring spirit.




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The Other Side of Dr Kalam


E S Ramamurthy, founder of Sikshana Foundation, Bangalore fondly remembers the time he spent with the late Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.




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Residents of a municipal dumping site fight back


The women of Meghpar village of Kutch District are fighting the big port town Gandhidham municipality which is dumping its waste in their village. Vimal Kalavadiya and Shvetangini Patel report from Kutch.




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Street-side story


Though the homeless exist in large numbers, society tries to render them invisible, says a recent study on homelessness in four Indian cities. Arpan Tulsyan reports on the findings.




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The younger side of AIDS


There are an estimated 200,000 children with HIV who are under 15 years old in the country, while some 50,000 to 60,000 children are born with HIV each year, according to NACO estimates, despite the fact that drugs now exist to immunize such children from the threat of contamination from their mothers. Darryl D'Monte reports.




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Reading beyond Siddaramaiah’s lines


Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the maiden budget of the recently elected Congress government on July 12, but does his populist package promise anything beyond mere intent? Sridhar Pabbisetty elaborates.




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Organising inside the home


How much should domestic workers be paid for various kinds of labour? In Pune, workers decided they must have some say in the answer. Rasika Dhavse reports.




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Subsidy to nowhere


Offer to build 320,000 houses for slum-dwellers. Deliver only 1146. In two years, only a tiny fraction of the number of houses a Maharashtra government plan called for actually got built. Dilip D'Souza dissects an infamous cross-subsidy fiasco that was born as an election promise.




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RTI finding : Cities subsidising the rich


Property prices have gone up over the decades, but Mumbai leases land to private interests at rates as low as Rs.7 per sq.m. In the last three years alone, revenue authorities have on average lost close to Rs.48 crores, estimates Shailesh Gandhi.




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Bombay HC sets aside dubious circular


Once an offence is disclosed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, then the police must investigate, rules the court, and any government circular that interferes with this must be ignored. Krishnaraj Rao reports.




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Nearly 1000 people stranded outside state return to Assam

Nearly 1000 returnees, including 140 students of Assam studying in different universities and institutions of Gujarat, arrived in Guwahati on Thursday, even as nearly three lakh people, who had earlier registered for coming to the state, have re-applied cancelling their requests for permits.




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SC order gives breather to people stuck outside state




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Stranded Pak citizens reach home, praise prompt service on both sides




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Residents want 2 makeshift veggie markets shut




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Consider home delivery of liquor to maintain social distancing norms: SC to states

Consider home delivery of liquor to maintain social distancing norms: SC to states





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Watch: Durg Collector shows his generous side, buys all vegetables from elderly

Watch: Durg Collector shows his generous side, buys all vegetables from elderly





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Covid-19 lockdown: Sitaram Yechury writes to President Kovind on labour laws

Covid-19 lockdown: Sitaram Yechury writes to President Kovind on labour laws





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Firemen spray disinfectant inside Odisha State Secretariat to prevent spread of Covid-19

Firemen spray disinfectant inside Odisha State Secretariat to prevent spread of Covid-19





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Indian-origin man jailed for offensive graffiti outside temple in UK

An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to 52 weeks' imprisonment after pleading guilty to writing offensive graffiti at a number of locations across Leicester in central England, some of which was deemed to be racially or religiously aggravated. Amit Divecha admitted to being responsible for the graffiti, which was found outside a Hindu temple.




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Trump valet has coronavirus; president again tests negative




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Egypt's president expands powers, citing virus outbreak




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President Xi warns against complacency as China downgrades Covid-19 risk levels in all regions