Celebrities supporting social causes is indeed commendable because amidst the current scenario, the world needs empathy, love, and financial support at the right time. Salman Khan has been financially supporting daily wage workers and providing ration to those impacted during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Commencing the financial aid, he was one of the first people who made sure that money was directly transferred into the bank account of 25,000 daily wagers who were in dire need. It did not stop there, he further transferred money into the account of additional 7000 daily wage workers of the film fraternity.

The actor also helped 90 vertically challenged wage workers associated with All India Special Artistes Association (AISAA), a wing of FWICE.

The superstar also arranged for food supplies for thousands of people from varied corners of the state. A video of the same surfaced on the internet recently where truckloads of essentials were sent to the villagers around the farm.

Salman Khan has been carefully watching the situation and extending help in installments to ensure steady flow of income and essentials for the needy in different parts of the country.

Keeping in mind the current situation, he has released several videos where he has voiced his opinions and made a personal appeal to his massive fandom and people of the nation to stay indoors and maintain social distancing.

ALSO READ: Inside Salman Khan’s Panvel farmhouse with Jacqueline Fernandez and Iulia Vantur

Like always, Google doodle has our hearts. Google Doodle did its bit to laud the selfless service of the frontline medical professionals and wrote a thank you message as well.

When one hovers over the doodle, it shows the message, "To all doctors, nurses and medical workers; thank you".

The logo also features a little heart emoji to everyone who is fighting on the frontlines of the COVID-19 battle.

Medical professions have sidelined the threat of catching the infection and are choosing duty over everything else. Despite that, many healthcare workers have been facing abuse and are accused of carrying the virus.

Google wrote, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

More than 18 lakh people have been tested positive for COVID-19. The first case was reported from Wuhan which became the epicentre of the infectious virus.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, a heartwarming story of an IAS officer joining back work after delivering her baby is winning hearts online. Responding to the call of duty, IAS officer and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner (GVMC) G Srijana returned to work with her one month old baby thereby cutting short her maternity break in order to help the country fight the novel coronavirus crisis.

An extraordinary feather of @IASassociation. 2013 batch IAS Mrs @GummallaSrijana Commissioner @GVMC_OFFICIAL refused to take 06 months maternal leave and joined back her office with one month old baby in lap. Truly inspiring to all #CoronaWarriors #COVID__19 pic.twitter.com/mzbPsUyTco

— Chiguru Prashanth Kumar (@prashantchiguru) April 11, 2020

The 2013 batch IAS officer was working as the municipal commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam until she was blessed with a baby boy nearly a month ago. But soon after the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Srijana joined back work and cut short her maternity leave.

Stood in solidarity to the fight against #Covid_19 On the call of @PMOIndia @narendramodi #9PM9minute pic.twitter.com/kCT9PxQT7F

— Srijana Gummalla (@GummallaSrijana) April 5, 2020

When asked as to how she was looking after her baby while handling work, Srijana said that her lawyer-husband and her mother were her pillars of strength as they are providing her with ample support amid the nationwide lockdown.

à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹ना सà¤Â‚à¤Â•à¤ÂŸ मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚ à¤ÂÂÂ…पनà¥Â‡ à¤Â•रà¥Âतवà¥Âय à¤Â•à¥Â€ पà¥Âà¤Â•ार पर à¤ÂÂÂ…पनà¥Â‡ 1 माह à¤Â•à¥Â‡ बà¤Âšà¥Âà¤Âšà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ साथ à¤Â—à¥Âरà¥Â‡à¤ÂŸर विशाà¤Â–ापà¤ÂŸà¥Âà¤ÂŸनम à¤Â•à¥Â€ नà¤Â—र à¤Â†यà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âत शà¥Âरà¥Â€मतà¥Â€ सà¥Âƒà¤ÂÂÂœना à¤Â—à¥Âमà¥Âमाला वापस डà¥Âयà¥Â‚à¤ÂŸà¥Â€ पर लà¥ÂÂÂŒà¤ÂŸ à¤Â†à¤Âˆà¤Â‚।
भाà¤Â—à¥Âयशालà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ यह राषà¥Âà¤ÂŸà¥Âर à¤ÂÂÂœहाà¤Â‚ à¤Âसà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹ना यà¥Â‹दà¥Âधा हà¥Âˆ। à¤Â•रà¥Âतवà¥Âय निषà¥Âठा à¤Â•à¥Â‡ à¤Â‡स à¤ÂÂÂœà¥Â€वà¤Â‚त à¤Â‰दाहरण à¤Â•à¥Â‡ लिà¤Â à¤Â†पà¤Â•ा हà¥Âƒदय सà¥Â‡ à¤Â†भार।#NoCoronaPolitics pic.twitter.com/7md7CxKRp2

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) April 12, 2020

Srijana also said that she was aware of her responsibilities and that her service was of utmost importance during the coronavirus crisis. The 2013 batch IAS officer also states that the district administration is working in tandem in order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Young #IAS Officers leading #fightagainstcorona.
GVMC Visakhapatnam Commissioner, Ms Gummalla Srijana @GummallaSrijana
joined back on duty with one month old baby without maternity leave to serve the City.#CoronaWarriorshttps://t.co/DyP3s0uU2z pic.twitter.com/2HlpvZU9pC

— IAS Association (@IASassociation) April 11, 2020

Srijana's inspiring story was shared by hundreds of netizens who lauded her efforts and her commitments towards the country amid the coronavirus crisis. Twitter user Chiguru Prashanth Kumar shared Sirjana's story and said that it was truly inspiring story for all coronavirus warriors.

She is the real SHERNI !!
India is proud of her🇮🇳
History is witness that whenever our Nation has faced crisis, the Sanatan Women have always come forward to fulfill their responsibilities.@NAN_DINI_ @Aabhas24 @prettypadmaja #CoronaWarriors https://t.co/k7y5OFd8Zf

— Sanatan Women (@SanatanWomen) April 12, 2020

While the IAS association through their Twitter handle said that Sirjana joined the duty with her one month old baby without maternity leave in order to serve the city. Twitter user Sanatan Women hailed Srijana as the real SHERNI while another user said that the country was lucky to have such corona warriors.

I salute Mrs.Srijana Gummala who is the Municipal Commissioner of Greater Vishakapatnam & is the
mother of a 1 month old baby.
She has returned to work, with her baby in her arms, because of COVID19 crisis. Yes, she has given up her maternity leave to serve the Nation.
🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/usYi95hVGb

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) April 12, 2020

Filmmake, producer and social activist Ashoke Pandit also showered heaps of praises on IAF officer Sriana. Pandit said that he salutes Srijana Gummala, who returned to work, with her baby in her arms and also gave up her maternity leave to serve the nation.

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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called up Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and expressed concern over the gathering of a large number of people in Mumbai's Bandra area in defiance of the ongoing lockdown, officials said.

Shah stressed that such events weaken India's fight against coronavirus and the administration needs to stay vigilant to avoid such incidents. "The home minister spoke to the Maharashtra chief minister and expressed concern over the large gathering of people in Mumbai's Bandra area," a home ministry official said. Shah also offered his full support to the Maharashtra government in dealing with the situation, the official said.

About 1,000 migrant workers who earn daily wages gathered in Mumbai's Bandra area on Tuesday demanding transport arrangements for them to go back to their native places, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown till May 3.

A police official said the migrants were dispersed two hours later and have been assured that they will be provided accommodation and food till the lockdown lasts. In viral videos, police personnel was seen using mild cane-charge to disperse the migrants, who had gathered near the Bandra railway station in suburban Mumbai.

Daily wage workers have been rendered jobless ever since the lockdown was announced late last month to stem the spread of COVID-19, making their lives a constant struggle.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday demanded the Central government to bring back Indian workers stranded in the Middle East due to the COVID-19 crisis.

"The #Covid19 crisis & shutting of businesses in the Middle East have left thousands of Indian workers in deep distress & desperate to return home. The Govt must organise flights to bring home our brothers & sisters most in need of assistance, with quarantine plans in place," Gandhi tweeted.

The #Covid19 crisis & shutting of businesses in the Middle East have left thousands of Indian workers in deep distress & desperate to return home. The Govt must organise flights to bring home our brothers & sisters most in need of assistance, with quarantine plans in place.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 15, 2020

In India, a total of 11,439 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported, including 1,305 cured/discharged and 377 deaths.

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Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19, joining global efforts to find a quick preventive for the deadly infection spreading rapidly across the world, says a top Indian scientist. Nearly 70 'vaccine candidates' are being tested and at least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage, but a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is unlikely to be ready for mass use before 2021. As COVID-19 infects more than 1.9 million in the world and claims 1,26,000 lives, Indian scientists are also part of the global fight against the disease.

"While Zydus Cadila is working on two vaccines, Serum Institute, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, Indian Immunologicals, and Mynvax are developing one vaccine each," Gagandeep Kang, executive director of the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, told PTI. Kang is also vice chair of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which noted in a recent study that the "global vaccine R&D effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in terms of scale and speed".

But it is a complicated process with many stages of testing and many challenges, explained experts. A vaccine for the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may not take 10 years that other vaccines do but it could be at least a year before it is proven safe, effective, and made widely available, they said. "Vaccine development is a lengthy process which often takes years, with many challenges," said E. Sreekumar, chief scientific officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in Kerala.

"Generally, vaccines take several months to pass the different stages of testing, and then approvals also take time. For COVID-19, we don't expect a vaccine to come in this year," agreed Rakesh Mishra, director of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad. Vaccine testing typically begins with animal and lab testing before going on to different stages of human testing.

"The human testing phase is composed of many phases," Sreekumar told PTI. "Phase one trials are small-scale, usually involving few participants, to assess whether the vaccine is safe for humans. Phase two trials often involve several hundred subjects, and mainly evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine against the disease," he said.
The final phase involves thousands of people to further assess the efficacy of the vaccine over a defined period of time, and can last several months, Sreekumar said.
"That is why we don't see a vaccine coming in at least a year from now."

Even after the vaccine is ready, he explained, there are a lot of challenges, including whether the vaccine is effective in all populations, and if it can be used for different strains of the novel coronavirus, which might start mutating as time passes. "There are lots of vaccines which are being tested for COVID-19, some of which are in the stage 1 clinical trial," Mishra added.

"But we still don't know how fast they will proceed towards a vaccine and they can take several months to reach any point," he said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three vaccine candidates are in the clinical testing phase, meaning they are able to be tested on humans, while nearly 70 are in the preclinical phase -- either in lab testing, or animal studies. Though Kang named six companies, the WHO has listed only Zydus Cadila and Serum Institute from India as among the global firms working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

As of April 8, 2020, said CEPI, the global COVID-19 vaccine R&D landscape includes 115 vaccine candidates, of which 78 are confirmed as active and 37 are unconfirmed.
Of the 78 confirmed active projects, 73 are currently at exploratory or preclinical stages, noted the CEPI team in an analysis published in the journal Nature reviews drug Discovery last week.

The most advanced candidates have recently moved into clinical development, including mRNA-1273 from US-based biotechnology company Moderna, Ad5-nCoV from Chinese biopharma company CanSino Biologicals, and INO-4800 from American pharmaceuticals company Inovio. Others in this list include LV-SMENP-DC and pathogen-specific aAPC from Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute in China.

Numerous other vaccine developers have indicated plans to initiate human testing in 2020, the CEPI scientists said. Experts believe the genome sequencing of the new coronavirus provided by scientists in China shows it shares 79 per cent of the same genetic material as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and 50 per cent of the same material as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a species of coronavirus which infects humans, bats, and camels.

This allows developers to use groundwork already created in research for vaccines for those viruses. Australia's national science agency CSIRO announced earlier this month that it has begun preclinical tests of a vaccine developed by Oxford University in the UK. A striking feature of the vaccine development landscape for COVID-19 is the range of technology platforms being evaluated, including nucleic acid (DNA and RNA), virus-like particle, live weakened virus, and inactivated virus approaches.

The CEPI noted that many of these platforms are not currently the basis for licensed vaccines, but experience in fields such as oncology is encouraging developers to exploit the opportunities that next-generation approaches offer for increased speed of development and manufacture.

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After thanking doctors, nurses and health care professionals, on Thursday, the Google doodle paid tributes to food service workers, who have been serving people amid the coronavirus crisis with an animated illustration on Thursday. The animated doodle is part of the Google doodle which the search engine giant launched last week in order to celebrate the coronavirus warriors.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all food service workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/QV09JLTULv pic.twitter.com/WvIaLPLYQo

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 16, 2020

When one hovers over the doodle, it shows the message, "To all food service workers, thank you." The 'Thank You' doodle for food service workers features a heart emoticon being sent across to food service workers, who have been preparing food for COVID-19 patients, doctors and staff of the hospitals.

Besides food service workers, chefs, restaurants and food delivery workers have also resumed work in order to help the country fight the global pandemic. Through its animated doodle series, google will be honouring people who have been leading the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all grocery workers, thank you.

#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/XWOzYTjMqO pic.twitter.com/BudQ17hEMz

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 13, 2020

A few days ago, google released a doodle to thank medical professionals who have been leading India's fight against the deadly virus. To all doctors, nurses and medical workers; thank you." read the doodle message. The animated doodle also featured a little heart emoticon for everyone who is fighting the battle against COVID-19 on the frontline.

Talking about their animated doodle series to honours those fighting coronavirus Google said, "As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honour many of those on the front lines."

Today marks the beginning of our #GoogleDoodle series recognizing and honoring those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, we’d like to say:

To all the public health workers and to researchers in the scientific community, thank you.

→ https://t.co/EcrUYgo0xU pic.twitter.com/PUPl7Z0WHO

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 6, 2020

Besides healthcare professionals and food service workers, Google has so far honoured public health workers, emergency services workers, sanitation workers, farmers, grocery workers, public transportation workers, and delivery workers among others.

Till yesterday, India had 10,824 active cases and 1514 discharged and cured cases while 420 people have died from the disease which originated in China. Maharashtra has been the worst affected state with 2919 COVID-19 cases including 187 deaths.

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Letsallhelp.org a startup venture in the area of social impact has been playing a very active role during the period of crisis that has been unleashed by the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. They have been working tirelessly to help the daily wage / migrant workers so that they could sustain their life and their family during this period.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in our country has impacted our lives in unimaginable ways. The nationwide lockdown and social distancing is perhaps the best way to combat the crisis till an effective medical solution is found.

However, it is easier said than done. It could take weeks or may be even months till normalcy is restored. While we are all worried about our livelihood, spare a thought for the thousands of the daily wage and migrant workers who have lost their means of livelihood and may not be able to sustain themselves and their families for a long time.

The team at Letsallhelp.org has taken a pledge….No one sleeps hungry during the lockdown.

Letsallhelp.org has been raising funds from benevolent donors and working tirelessly to support the people rendered helpless on the face of the lockdown so they don't have to migrate to their villages or starve in the cities, by providing them with food and hygiene related products.

Ever since the lockdown period has started, the team at Letsallhelp.org has been able to mobilize over 50 tons of food products and have catered to the needs of over 10,000 people across the slums, shelters and old age homes across Mumbai.

"I always believed in a simple thought - give more than what you get from the society. Looking at the difficulties being faced by the daily wage / migrant workers, we felt that it was our duty to help them and together we have gone all out to support them. We look forward to increase our reach to more cities in the days to come with support from our donors", said Premal Shah, Founder & Change Maker of the organization.

While the team is directly involved in the delivery of the products to the needy people, they have also teamed up with trusted NGO's with the primary objective of reaching out to maximum number of needy people at this hour of crisis. All parties involved in the distribution of products have the requisite permissions from the local authorities to deliver these products at the last mile.

Letsallhelp.org encourages its donor community to make their contribution in terms of Survival Kits that takes care of the food and hygiene requirements of one person for one month. The donors are encouraged to make their contribution by logging on their web site www.letsallhelp.org.

About Letsallhelp.org

Letsallhelp.org is a startup venture in the area of social impact that enables individuals and corporations to come closer to Orphanages, Old Age Homes, Shelters for HIV affected patients, physically challenged, etc and unaided schools and contribute to their well being in areas of food and personal hygiene through a simple technology platform.

Our goal is "No one should sleep hungry" or "Be void of personal hygiene".

We are associated with a very important social cause bothering our country today with far reaching implication considering India's current ranking in Global Hunger Index. Letsallhelp.org brings in a structured, yet flexible portal that helps you take on the war against hunger across different parts of the country and help the country climb up the ladder of Hunger Index.

At Letsallhelp.org, individuals choose products and quantities they wish to contribute, which will be delivered by their logistic partner to each beneficiary at the end of the month. Donors get proof of the delivery as "Impact Proof" with a photo when the products are delivered. In the end, individuals get the joy of impacting lives in a meaningful way and feel good. LetsAllHelp.org offers various ways to contribute – one-time, monthly, adopt for one year, corporate adopt and employee giving.

For further information, please contact: Premal Shah ( 9222933333 ) and also lookup
www.letsallhelp.org

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With some relaxation amid lockdown in non-hotspot areas, the daily wage labourers gathered at labour chowks in Mumbai in search of work, find remote possibility of getting any work during the lockdown that will continue till May 3. Raju Tiwari, one of the migrant labourer waiting for work, told ANI, "I am a daily wage labourer who does all sorts of work to earn for a living. Though since the lockdown we did not get any work, even now I do not think that anybody would come to hire us for work."

Echoing similar sentiments, Sunil Tiwari, another daily wage earner, said, "All my savings have been exhausted and now I do not have any work. For now, we are dependent on others giving us food." "Though the relaxation has been given by the government on the daily wage labourers working, the police beats us and stops us in going anywhere. If we do not go then how will we earn?" he added.

The Union Home Ministry on April 19 had allowed intra-state movement of the migrant labourers, if found asymptomatic upon screening, from their relief camps and shelters to their respective places of work.

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Sikar (Rajasthan): Quarantined in two schools in Rajasthan's Sikar district - a group of migrant labourers have added colour to their temporary abode by painting the chipped walls of the institutions.

About 54 workers from Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh quarantined in the Shaheed Sitaram Kumawat and Seth KL Tambi Government Higher Secondary schools in Palsana town wanted to express their gratitude for the arrangements made for them in quarantine.
Migrant workers have been quarantined at separate places across the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Palsana Sarpanch Roop Singh Shekhawat said that in response to the good care taken of them at the quarantine centres migrant workers wanted to express their gratitude. Wall paint and other necessary items were made available to them, which they used to give a makeover to the schools.

"The entire village is overwhelmed by their behaviour. All these people are perfectly healthy and their quarantine time is also over. It is joyful to see the constructive work done by the workers who have used the quarantine period beautifully," Shekhawat said.
Jagat Singh Panwar, secretary of district legal services authority who had visited the centre and met the workers, praised the workers for taking the initiative.

Now here is a positive story. Migrant labours from MP & Gujarat were quarantined at Palsana, Sikar. As a gesture they offered to colour the school since were getting food etc from there. Sarapanch arranged material. People are beautiful & inspiring. pic.twitter.com/1ncjTJGKA0

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 22, 2020

The principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Palsana, Rajendra Meena said the school premises were not white-washed from the last nine years.

All the teachers agreed to the offer funds from their salaries, which was used to purchase paint and other necessary items and migrant workers staying here happily took the task without taking any money.

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that he is following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi' as the state government is gradually working on improving the economic situation while adhering to coronavirus guidelines.

His remarks came after attending the meeting of Chief Ministers with the Prime Minister over the prevailing COVID-19 situation. "Now we are working on the mantra 'Jaan Bhi Jahan Bhi' given by the Prime Minister. While strictly following the guidelines of the Government of India, we are gradually working on improving the economic situation. Pharma, food processing units are working, many industries have started under the guidelines,"

Rawat said, according to a release by Uttarakhand CMO "Nine hill districts of the state are free from the influence of Corona. The works of National Highway, MNREGA have been started keeping in mind everything. For the economic revival of the state, a committee of cabinet sub-committee and experts has been formed, whose report will be received soon," he said.

The Chief Minister said that it should be looked at and which economic activities can be started while adhering to all guidelines to combat COVID-19.

Rawat said that Uttarakhand being a tourism and pilgrimage destination has been greatly affected by the lockdown. "But I am confident that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the situation in the state will improve again," he added. He said that the gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri have been opened on Akshaya Tritiya while maintaining all precautions.

The Chief Minister also suggested that the duration of employment in MNREGA be increased from 100 days to 150 days.

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The government has not talked about charging anything from migrant labourers as 85 per cent of the transportation cost is borne by the railways and 15 per cent by state governments, the Centre said on Monday amid a row over the national transporter allegedly charging the workers for ferrying them home during the COVID-19-induced lockdown. The government also said the process of transporting the stranded migrant labourers was being coordinated by states "except for one or two states".

Asked if the migrant labourers were being charged for being ferried home, Joint Secretary at the Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal said that as far as migrant labourers are concerned, the guidelines have clearly stated that under the infectious disease management one should stay where he or she is.

"Based on the request given from states for particular cases, permission was given to run special trains. Be it government of India or the Railways, we have not talked about charging from workers. Eighty-five per cent of the transportation cost is borne by the Railways, while states have to bear 15 per cent of the cost," he told the media.

At the daily briefing on the COVID-19 situation, Agarwal also said that in the last 24 hours, 1,074 COVID-19 patients have recovered, the highest number of recoveries in one day. The recovery rate stands at 27.52 per cent with 11,706 COVID-19 patients cured till now, he said. Agarwal said in the last 24 hours, 2,553 Novel Coronavirus cases were reported, taking the number of overall cases to 42,533.

India on its way back to normalcy

. Life was limping back to normalcy in most parts of Karnataka with easing of COVID-19- induced restrictions on Monday as the state headed into the third phase of lockdown started since March 24.

. West Bengal has the highest mortality rate in the country at 12.8 per cent, Inter Ministerial Central Team leader Apoorva Chandra wrote in his final observations to state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, before leaving for Delhi on Monday.

. Electricians, plumbers, part-time house helps and other workers took tentative steps back to work on Monday as large parts of India, including the national capital, entered the third phase of the lockdown with curbs eased in some places.

. Kerala on Monday opened its borders at six places for Keralites stranded in other states due to the COVID-19 lockdown to return to their native place. The government through an order issued earlier had designated six entry points for receiving the stranded persons from other states to enter Kerala.

Migrants pelt stones at cops in Gujarat

Hundreds of migrant workers seeking to return home clashed with the police and pelted stones at them near a village in Gujarat's Surat district on Monday, following which the security personnel lobbed teargas shells and baton-charged the agitated workers, an official said. Besides, several labourers also came out on a road in Rajkot demanding that they be sent back to their hometowns, while some migrant workers got their heads tonsured in an area of Surat after being unable to go back home.

Section 144 extended in Noida area

The Noida district administration has extended Section 144 of the CrPC till May 17 in Gautam Buddha Nagar, with relaxations in the lockdown subject to certain restrictions. The police shared some information on the relaxations through tweets. A notification was issued by Gautam Buddh Nagar Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ashutosh Dwivedi, stating that "the home ministry has issued detailed guidelines to prevent spread of Coronavirus.

BSF hdqs sealed after staff tests positive

Two floors of the BSF headquarters in Delhi have been sealed after a staff member was tested positive for COVID-19, officials said. The eight-storeyed BSF head office is located in the CGOs complex on Lodhi road that also houses the CRPF headquarters. "A head constable of the BSF working in the force headquarters has been found COVID-19 positive," a BSF spokesperson said on Monday.

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Branded Harry Potter buses that generally take fans to Warner Bros.' The Making of Harry Potter studio tour in the UK are now being used to transport key National Health Service (NHS) workers for free between hospitals battling coronavirus.

The buses have been provided by Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and bus operator Golden Tours to transport key workers between West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust's three sites, reported Variety.

"Our workforce has been depleted due to sickness or self-isolation and so it's really important that those staff who are well but have transport issues can come back," Variety quoted Paul da Gama, chief people officer at West Herts Hospitals as saying.

"A special shuttle bus, which will have strict social distancing rules, is the perfect solution and we are so grateful to Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and Golden Tours for making this happen. Our staff might not be travelling to exotic locations or seeing behind the scenes of a major movie, but they will be making magic happen in their own way," he added.

The free service runs its first journey just after 6 a.m. and its last drop-off at 10:40 p.m. (local time) between the Trust's three sites.

"We couldn't think of a better way to use the buses at this time. We are delighted to play a part in supporting our local NHS in its time of need," Variety quoted a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden as saying.

The UK has reported more than 90,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus while the toll due to the coronavirus has surged past 12,000.

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Despite being armed with years of equestrian training, Randeep Hooda recalls being "daunted" to commence physical prep work with Chris Hemsworth for Extraction. The actor's fears were not unwarranted when one considers how Hemsworth punched his way through 22 Marvel films as the superhero Thor, only to go on and launch one of the most successful fitness platforms in Hollywood.

"We'd train together almost each day. Chris said he didn't benefit from traditional gym training for his action [films] and hence took to [functional and agility work]. When I'd ask him why he'd do shoulder presses with one hand, he'd tell me how it worked in improving his core strength. [I too changed the way] I used the muscles of the core and shoulders," says Hooda, adding that despite being as famous as he is, the Australian star's demands during his India sojourn were rather trifling.

"The only thing he wanted was organic food, which his [nutritionist] would cook for him. All the stuff that his team did, inspired me to change the traditional way I [trained]. I took to compound movements, and learnt the importance of [practising] bodyweight [exercises]. Developing presence of mind and command over the body to enable it to do everything you want it to do, was [my biggest takeaway] during our three-week rehearsals before we rolled," says Hooda, who battles Hemsworth in a series of high-octane action sequences in the upcoming Netflix offering.

For debutant director Sam Hargrave, working on Extraction was both a familiar and alien experience at once. While on one hand, the former stuntman for Avengers' Captain America was reuniting with Hemsworth and producers Russo Brothers, on the other, he was exploring the unfamiliar terrain of India, where his film is based, and even employing languages that he couldn't himself comprehend.

"It is due to Sam's vision that we could create this world. We went through a lot of rehearsals [for the combat sequences]. Sam, along with the action team, ensured that the physicality was on point, and the scenes were realistic. I'd also watch the stuntmen, who had peculiar ways of training. They'd practice low-ground work, and take to exercises to strengthen the joints and ligaments. I'd watch them in awe as they performed martial arts and flips."

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Actor Priyanka Chopra seems headstrong when it comes to fitness. Despite not hitting the gym due to lockdown, the actor has a solution to maintain her workout routine at home. The star on Saturday posted a video of herself on Instagram in which she could be seen half-laid on the couch while pulling up a kid with her hands.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

No gym, no problem. @sky.krishna @divya_jyoti

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:05pm PDT

The 37-year-old was pounding out reps over reps as she lifted the little young girl instead of dumbells. Taking to the captions, the 'Don' actor wrote: 'No gym, no problem'.

The 'Fashion' actor is currently staying indoors with her singer husband Nick Jonas in the United States.

Recently, the actor shared a picture of herself in a stunning blue saree, saying she 'felt like wearing' one at home.

Earlier, Chopra pledged USD 100,000 in total to four incredible women who rose above the challenges to make a difference during the coronavirus crises.

Moreover, she along with Nick donated to several organisations including PM CARES Fund, Goonj, Feeding America and others to combat COVID-19 which has affected over 10 lakh people globally.

The 'Baywatch' actor took part in WHO's live stream event 'ONE WORLD: TOGETHER AT HOME' to raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

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Amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, pop star Selena Gomez has set up a small studio at her home, and is working on new music. The singer took to Instagram to share a picture of her home recording studio, reports dailymail.co.uk.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Makeshift studio so I can work from home 🎧🎼🎤

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:53pm PDT

In the picture, the 27-year-old is seen sitting on the floor next to her furry slippers in front of a studio, with a professional microphone, mic stand, and insulated walls. She is wearing a grey tee with a pair of dark blue pants, she also has a book with a sketch on one side and another book with notes kept in front of her.

"Makeshift studio so I can work from home" she captioned the image. Recently, during a conversation with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Gomez revealed her plan to build a home studio.

"Currently I'm actually building this little studio situation and I'm doing it with the people that have been in my house," she said.

"So I'm creating a little station where I'm going to be able to FaceTime with my engineer and some of my producer friends and we're going to try to make some music, which I'm so excited about," she added.

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Work from home is not ending any time sooner, and nor is boredom! Online meetings, Skype calls, turning your bedroom into a conference room, everything has been done now. As the lockdown extends, we are here to share some good shows which highlight workplace fun. While some are still running successfully to tickle our funny bone, and a few are long forgotten. So, let's take a look at them right away!

The Office:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Office (@theofficeus) onOct 29, 2014 at 6:09am PDT

How can anyone miss out on this one? Dark humour, mockery on people who work together, same place, same people, for numerous years, The Office was not only loved and appreciated by many that time but is still considered as one of the classics. Steve Carell's over-the-top behaviour, John Krasinski's witty responses, everything in The Office is outright hilarious. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Grey's Anatomy:

This medical drama is extremely relatable? Courtesy, the doctors are always in the hospital. Working nonstop for god-only-knows how many hours. Do they get some sleep? Yes, in-between, on the stretcher! People who are workaholics will surely relate to the world Meredith Grey and her 'people' belongs too. 

Ugly Betty:

For all the Indians, this one might be a familiar show but with a different name. Do you remember Mona Singh's 'Jassie Jaisi Koi Nahi?' Yes, it was a remake of the popular American show, Ugly Betty. Do we need to say anymore?

Silicon Valley:

 

 

 

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A post shared by Silicon Valley (@siliconhbo) onNov 12, 2019 at 7:39am PST

Available on Disney+ Hotstar, Silicon Valley shares the story of a few geeks, living in Silicon Valley and cracking a big deal out in their startup. The entire journey to make it big in the world filled with some great brains and massive competitors, Silicon Valley has to share its struggles in the world of successful people.

Superstore:

Have you ever imagined the life of the store-runners? Exactly! It's not easy. They have to handle the crowd, look after the supplies, arrange, rearrange and reorganize everything in every single aisle. It is difficult! Yes! And that is what Superstore is all about.

Fun, isn't it? The workplace is fun!

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Hollywood heavyweight Sylvester Stallone has revealed that a sequel to his 1993 "Demolition Man" is on the way.

The 73-year-old actor-filmmaker said that he is in talks with Warner Bros Studio for a follow-up to the sci-fi action film. Asked if there would be another "Demo Man", Stallone said, "I think it is coming." In an Instagram Q&A, the actor said, "We're working on it right now with Warner Bros and it's looking fantastic, so that should come out. That's going to happen."

The original also starred Sandra Bullock, but there's no word on whether she will return. "Demolition Man" follows two men: an evil crime lord (Wesley Snipes) and a risk-taking police officer (Stallone). Cryogenically frozen in 1996, they are reanimated in 2032 to find mainstream society changed and all crime seemingly eliminated.

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Kriti Kharbanda, needless to say, is one of the fittest actresses of Bollywood. She has always been a fitness enthusiast and tries different forms of workout to keep it interesting. Her recent Instagram post has left us all wondering if there’s anything that she cannot do with perfection. The video has really motivated us to think of new ways to start working out.

She posted the video with the caption, “Throwback to my favourite form of workout! Definitely regret not installing a pole at home. Adding this to my to-do list post the lockdown! What’s on your list !? What do u really miss doing!?”

Watch the video, right here.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kriti Kharbanda (@kriti.kharbanda) on May 7, 2020 at 7:44am PDT

On the work front, Kriti Kharbanda will next be seen in Bulbul Marriage Hall with beau Pulkit Samrat, produced by Salman Khan.

Also Read: Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda to star in Salman Khan’s next production venture

Sara Ali Khan is a fitness enthusiast and manages to stick to her workout routine even during the lockdown. However, at home, her workout is limited so she shared an old video of herself sweating it out in the gym. Her workout partner at home being her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan, they are sometimes accompanied by their furry friend, Fluffy Singh. She recently posted a throwback video on her Instagram where she’s seen doing pull ups like a pro!

Sara captioned the video as, “Don’t pray for lighter burdens ???? Work for a #stronger back ????️‍♂️???? Wake up #determined , sleep #satisfied ????????✌???????????? Don’t allow yourself to crack ???????? And if you stop or fail or fall ????✋ Just get right back on track ✅???????? #flashbackfriday”.

Take a look at it.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) on May 8, 2020 at 1:15am PDT

Also Read: Sara Ali Khan misses working, sticks to her current multiple roles

If not for the lockdown, Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan starrer Coolie No 1 would have been playing in the theatres right now. The film directed by David Dhawan is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Sara Ali Khan spoke about her experience working with Varun Dhawan.

Three-film-old Sara Ali Khan worked with Varun Dhawan for the first time. While the trailer of their film has not been released yet, fans are already rooting for this pairing based on the pictures from the sets of Coolie No 1 and the camaraderie shared by the two on social media. Talking about her experience working with Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan said, “I think I had an absolute blast working with Varun. Firstly, I think he knows his job so, so well and he is fully focussed on that, which I think is important when you are on a film set. That side, I think he is very, very supportive as a co-actor. He is superbly friendly and he is a lot of fun. I think I had one of my best experiences so far working with him. He knows how to be professional and serious and we need to give work the importance it needs and deserves, but he is also, in general, a very fun and chill person. So, I think he is one of the only people who I have worked with and actually hang with as well. I really like that about him. He is definitely one of my favourites.”

Watch video here:

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sara had started shooting for Atrangi Re before the lockdown was imposed. Atrangi Re directed by Aanand L Rai also stars Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.

The recently-released Emma Stone film, Battle of the Sexes, takes a relook at the debate on gender equality. Four Indian women, all in a minority in their professions, share mantras to come up trumps at the workplace

Go beyond misogyny
Priyanka Kochhar, Model and professional racer
Motorcycling remains a male-centric field. I model for a living so that makes it even stranger for men to see me on a bike. Luckily, I am my own boss but for every motorcycle I ride or event I participate in, I'm usually the lone woman. It used to be intimidating at first because I knew I wasn't as well-read about the technicalities of motorcycles.

But now, after two years of BikeWithGirl [her Instagram account], many male riders have begun to see me as they see their colleagues. I'm happy to note that motorcycle brands treat me the same way they treat male bikers. Maybe my hunger to do this is what they see and not my gender. The way I've tackled misogyny is by going beyond it. It used to rile me up at one point.

But work still has to get done, so I figured there was no point mulling over it. It has been hard, there's no denying it. And yes, there are still some critics but I've received a lot of support as well.

Be proactive at work
Archana Savleram Hadawale, Code-maker and software engineer
I am the only woman in a team of 11 men. I love to accept challenges, and coding offers a new challenge every day, which is why I picked the profession. You press an enter key, and the world changes. I come from a simple family where no one is a post graduate.

It wasn't easy to pick software engineering. My parents weren't supportive at first; they wanted me to get a nine-to-five job and pay attention to household work too. They also didn't want me to stress too much due to a health condition. There is a solution for everything. I meditate to deal with the stress that comes with the job.

If someone says you can't do it, tell him or her, 'Maybe I can't, but I will sit with you to get it done.' Don't wait to get work, ask for it. Whenever I work late, I see to it that there is someone whom I can trust around. Having a good senior helps. Since I don't come from the same social background as my colleagues, my manager provides me guidance to tackle hurdles. In the end, your work will do the talking.

Women must support women
Devita Saraf, Technology entrepreneur
Technology is challenging, engaging and futuristic; it's why I chose this field. I have two challenges, one that I am a woman, and two, I am a leader; people don't take this combination seriously. Whenever I am meet somebody or am at a meeting with a retailer, I show that I am in charge.

Your confidence should be high and your words must carry weight. This helps people take you seriously. It gets difficult in towns and cities outside metros where the older generation might show disregard. But you need to react graciously as they may not have dealt with women in business.

The number of women in technology is increasing; I interact with several female technology graduates but many suffer from parental pressure to choose marriage over career. I push for women in my company; women must support other women. Several department heads in my company, be it corporate sales or R&D, are women. Technology is a good industry for women as you are known for your IQ, and if you walk the talk, men respect you.

Set up pro-women systems
Seethalakshmy Narayanan, Investment banker
The female:male ratio in my company is 10 women to 65 men. However, the men are supportive. It is important for workplaces to set systems in place to help women produce a solid output.

An action as simple as having a peon stay back for the safety of a woman when she is working late makes a big difference. Give your 100 per cent, no one will hold you back.

(Left to right) Vidhi Legal members Namrata Mukherjee, Nitika Khaitan and Nivedita Saksena. Pic/Ajay Gautam

The legal framework in India has often posed many a problem for members of the LGBTQ community. Some regulations are being changed, and certain implementations are underway. But, taking into account the slow pace of change, a new manual helps members of the queer community navigate the lacking legal regime, as it exists currently.

The manual deals with identity documents, violence, education, health and personal finances. It is the brainchild of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, a Delhi-based think-tank conducting legal research assisting the government to make better laws. Namrata Mukherjee, a core member of the team explains, "Legal change will only come slowly; meanwhile, it is important to spread awareness on how queer community can access its rights, working around the law that's already in place." Pallav Patankar, former director of programmes at Mumbai's The Humsafar Trust, India's oldest LGBTQ organisation, scrutinised the 112-page manual. While he's appreciative of the initiative, he outlined certain critical insights to us which we got Vidhi Legal to respond to.

Pallav Patankar. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Trans women having two PAN cards - male and female - which is illegal
"This is because of the (hitherto) missing option of transgender, on the PAN card application," says Nitika Khaitan, another core member. "As of three weeks ago, that option has been introduced. Now you can reapply with the gender of your choice."

The manual seems to be critical about the concept of Aadhaar...
"Aadhaar has been at the centre of controversy mainly due to privacy concerns. Because privacy is intrinsic to this community, it's important to flag this. We are in no way influencing the debate," says Mukherjee. The manual states clearly that Aadhaar does not require people to verify their gender. "You are supposed to be able to put the gender of your choice. The implementation of this, of course, depends on the concerned on-ground officer," she adds.

Discrimination in school addresses the transgender issue and not sexuality
"There's very little by way of government policies that addresses the issue of discrimination at the school level. While UGC guidelines for trans students are there, there is no such thing with regards to sexuality," says Khaitan. The manual is addressed entirely to those above 18 years of age. "Underage boys and girls often face problems related to violence, healthcare, emotional abuse and discrimination in educational institutions. This is one area where we have not been able to find a solution," she adds.

The listed steps while procuring a voter ID are not followed by officials
Mukherjee says, "We have heard several complaints related to this. One tactic could be to take a copy of the NALSA judgment (National Legal Services Authority vs Union of India) that recognises the fundamental and civil rights of transgender persons, and present your case to the officials on ground. Another option is to approach your local MP and get him to write a letter on your behalf which you can take to the electoral photo ID centre and then mark the gender of your choice. You must also carry the gazette notification that says you've changed your name and gender. But, the success of these tactics depends entirely on the attitude of on-ground officials."

The chapter on health is from an academic perspective on health, gender dysphoria and gender affirmative therapy. What is the legal connect with India?
"There isn't a connect. There is nothing in our legal framework that regulates gender dysphoria or gender therapy. Because the queer community always encounters discrimination or harassment when they approach healthcare service providers, we have outlined general remedies that would be available to them under medical negligence laws, HIV Act; specific provisions that address discrimination that not many know of," says Khaitan.

Some suggestions in the manual seem to apply only to the digitally literate
Mukherjee says, "We are cognisant of the fact that access is determined by class. The idea of the manual is to reach grassroot LGBTQ organisations that will be able to disseminate the manual more effectively. This could be a tool that they can hopefully rely on while trying to access justice. We are also getting the manual translated into five regional languages." Add to this, the first chapter on identity documents is being recorded as a Hindi podcast. "We hope to publish it on social media, so that people can easily access it on WhatsApp etc."

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Amitabh Bachchan campaigns for the 1984 elections in Allahabad

Fans across the world celebrated acting legend Amitabh Bachchan's 75th birthday last October. And if you wish to extend the festivities, visit Frames 75, an exhibition of rare photographs and framed memorabilia that celebrate Bachchan's oeuvre.

The exhibition has been curated by film historian and archivist SMM Ausaja and photo journalist Pradeep Chandra. "There were no big commemorative events for his 75th birthday. But we realised that his 75th year is not yet over, so we should celebrate it with a visual journey in his platinum year," says Ausaja.

A photo by Pradeep Chandra of the legend at RK Studios

The duo worked over three months to curate the list of exhibits and even commissioned artwork for the exhibition. "We wanted something rare that's not on the Internet. You will see a photo from his first photo session, a pamphlet from his Allahabad election campaign, and artist Sonu Gupta's recreation of a painting by MF Husain that depicts the three phases of Bachchan's life," Ausaja says.

An original poster of Yaarana

"I did a similar show on his 61st birthday. So, for this exhibition we wanted to do something different. You will see some never-seen-before images by me, including a photo of Bachchan and Rajiv Gandhi at Indira Gandhi's funeral; a frame of him sitting with Bal Thackeray's shadow in the background; a photo with his daughter, with Dilip Kumar, and one with Rajkumar and Sanjay Dutt in the same frame," adds Chandra.

SMM Ausaja and Pradeep Chandra at Bachchan's residence

Also on display will be original posters, vinyl covers and fake notes used for shoots, many of which have Bachchan's image on them. "We wanted a wide variety of media to break monotony and sustain interest across all frames," Ausaja signs off.

FROM: May 11 to 25, 10 am to 6 pm
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CALL: 30916070

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Working out, washing utensils, watching movies and playing Ludo online -� these are some of the few activities which ace Indian batter Smriti Mandhana is indulging during the lockdown period in place as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak.

In a one-minute 38 second video shared by the BCCI, Mandhana has revealed her day to day activities in order to make sure how she makes the most of the lockdown period currently in place in the entire country.

WATCH📽ï¸Â: Lockdown Diaries with Smriti Mandhana 👊

Workouts, troubling her brother, Ludo & a lot more. @mandhana_smriti reveals how she is keeping herself engaged indoors🏠🏋ï¸Â‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ‘Œ

Full Video 👉 https://t.co/e7EyhdNh3h

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 13, 2020

She is working out as per the training schedule given by Team India trainer. "Staying fit is very important, so I am working out. I keep in touch with the trainer and receive the feedback. He keeps sending us (all Indian players) all the workouts that we need to follow."

"The other thing I like is spending time with my family. We love playing cards. I help my mother with cooking. I guess washing utensils has become a part of my daily routine. However, my favourite pass time is to trouble my brother," said the left-handed Indian batswoman.

"The third thing which is love is watching movies. I am a big movie buff. So, I make sure I watch two-three movies a week, not many because I don't want to get addicted. I want to spend time with my family.

"The best thing which I love doing the most at home is sleeping. I make sure I sleep for at least 10 hours to keep myself happy the entire day," she added.

The star Indian batswoman also urged people to stay indoors during the lockdown. "Stay home, stay safe and keep yourself physically and mentally fit."

India has been in lockdown since March 25, a step taken in order to stop the spread of coronavirus which has so far claimed more than 300 lives in the country. However, with an upstage in number of infected people, the lockdown is likely to be extended further after Tuesday.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) is 'exploring all options available' to them to complete the World Test Championship amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We are continuing planning for ICC events as they are but given the rapidly evolving situation as a prudent and responsible measure we are also undertaking a comprehensive business contingency planning exercise," a source within ICC told ANI. "This includes exploring all options available to us based on a range of scenarios connected to the pandemic," the source added.

The source further added that as of now, no decision has been taken. The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on sports all across the globe and cricket also had to bear the brunt of the deadly virus as several series have been postponed owing to COVID-19. In the ongoing World Test Championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The championship began on August 1 last year when Australia faced England in Ashes.

The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK. Currently, India hold the top spot on the World Test Championship table with 360 points followed by Australia and New Zealand with 296 and 180 points respectively.

The second ICC World Test Championship will run from July 2021 to June 2023.

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Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is a "bit" surprised that Cricket Australia is struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic but said players will work together with the governing body to overcome the crisis. With the coronavirus outbreak halting all cricketing action, Cricket Australia (CA) has laid off 80 per cent of its staff for the rest of the financial year which ends on June 30. Reports suggest that CA will run out of cash by August. "I was a bit surprised there but there has to be some impact, no doubt," Hazlewood was quoted as saying by 'Sydney Morning Herald'. Hazlewood said the financial crisis will hit cricketers too and they are ready for a reduced salary.

"We are no different from any other sport. It just depends how long it hangs around as to how much it is going to affect us, I guess. If it leads into next summer, it will be quite serious," Hazlewood said. "We're obviously partners in the game and we've always said that. We have ridden the highs and now its probably time to ride the lows, a little bit." CA and Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) had an ugly pay dispute in 2017 but Hazlewood said relations have improved since and hoped this crisis will be handled better this time. "I think the relationship is a lot better now, between the ACA and CA. It's developed a long way in the last 18 months to two years, probably," he said. "... so that will go a long way towards having this episode (handled) a lot better than last time. It's all positive from our end and I think, from both ends. "Hopefully it's a lot better communication this time and I think you will see that in the coming weeks and the coming months. As long as they show a lot of transparency on all the numbers, all the players will be pretty happy with that."

According to the MOU signed in 2017, CA has to provide ACA with revenue estimates and a national contract list for the upcoming summer by April 30 and Hazlewood expects the deadline to be met so that players can be better prepared for the financial fallout. "April 30 is what the players want and it's in the MOU but I guess these are strange times. Anything can happen," Hazlewood said. "The ideal (situation) is that they're put out before April 30 and obviously then we will know, financially, what we can get ready for and how much of a percentage is lost and how much of our contracts are affected. "The sooner we know that, the more we can plan for the next 12 months." The global health crisis, which has killed more than 1.6 lakh worldwide, has put this year's T20 World Cup and India's tour of Australia under threat.

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With the entire world currently fighting the coronavirus pandemic, athletes across sports are utilising time to make the most out of the forced break. Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw recently revealed what he has been spending time during the nationwide lockdown. "I've been working out a bit indoors and shadow practicing to maintain my fitness levels. I've also been helping my father in the kitchen. I can cook eggs quite well and I'm trying to learn a few new things. I've been playing some PUBG too," Shaw said on Tuesday during an Instagram LIVE session on the franchise's official handle.

Talking about the importance of mental health in such unprecedented times, Shaw said: "Mental strength is very important at this time, given that we are all restricted indoors. A lot of us don't have patience for things in life, so now is a great time to work on it." "Everyone should find something to do that they like, and work towards perfecting that. That process in itself will help one grow calmer and become more patient." Shaw also spoke about the 2019 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) where Delhi Capitals finished third, having made it to the play-offs after a seven-year gap.

"On and off the field, our team was like a family," he said. "We had Ricky (Ponting) Sir, Dada (Sourav Ganguly), (Mohammad) Kaif Sir to help us with anything – the environment was perfect." When asked to recall a funny anecdote from the season gone by, Shaw spoke about how Ponting had once scared him by ordering him to take ten rounds of the Feroz Shah Kotla as he had reported slightly late for a pre-training team meeting.

"I was looking for some new spikes in the dressing room that day and reached the ground a bit late," he said. "I completed the entire training -- fielding and batting sessions -- and had no energy left to run ten rounds of the ground. Luckily, I didn't have to. Turns out Ricky Sir just wanted to scare me off for my late attendance that day!" The 20-year-old, who spent a part of 2019 serving a doping ban, reflected on his time away from the game and the lessons learnt.

"It was a mistake. And the period away from cricket was a torture," he said. "Doubts and questions arise, but I kept the faith and belief. I spent some time in London where I was working on my fitness, as I wasn't allowed to bat anywhere.

"When the ban got over, and I returned to domestic cricket, I was hungrier than before. I picked up my bat and realised I hadn't lost my touch at all. If anything, that time off made me a more determined person," he added.

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England star all-rounder Ben Stokes will run his first ever half marathon on Tuesday to raise funds for the National Health Services (NHS) Charities Together and national children's cricket charity Chance to Shine. The 28-year-old all-rounder who admitted that the longest he had ever run was 8 km, will be running a half marathon near his home. "A half marathon is always been something that I've thought about doing a but never really got around to overdoing it. Obviously we have been in lockdown so I thought what a great option to go out and if I'm going to do it I might as well try and raise some funds for a good cause," Stokes said in an Instagram video.

Stokes got inspired by the efforts of three men who ran full marathons in their back gardens over the weekend. "I will be hopefully inspiring people to make some donations towards the Cricket Garden Marathon, I'm just trying to add some more funds to what they've managed to do for the great cause," said Stokes. "I've done absolutely no training, the longest distance that I've ever run is 8 kilometres. So, I don't even know I'm going to be able to complete it but hopefully, I can," he added.

The left-handed Stokes on April 8 became the first English cricketer since 2005 to be named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year.

The year 2019 proved as an instrumental year for Stokes as he played a key role in England's first 50-over World Cup win and then he went on to play a memorable inning against Australia during the third Ashes at Headingley.

Also, the English all-rounder was named as ICC's cricketer of the year in January 2020.

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Suresh Raina on Tuesday tweeted a video of him working out with the song 'Bella Ciao' playing in the background. Raina posted boomerangs of him working out with his "little Bella." In one of those, his daughter Gracia can also be seen in the frame. "Another workout session with my little Bella. #Gracia," said Raina.

On Monday, Raina said that it was disturbing to see how there has been an "exponential" rise in the number of child abuse and domestic violence cases during the ongoing coronavirus crisis around the world. Raina has, therefore, urged people to raise their voice and report such cases without any fear.

Another workout session with my little Bella. #Gracia pic.twitter.com/CCb4ylo2JX

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 5, 2020

"Lockdown has taught us various ways to love and bond with our family," Raina said on Twitter. "Though it's disturbing to read how exponentially the no. of child abuse and domestic violence cases have grown around the world.

"I urge anyone who is facing violence please reach out for help and don't shut yourself," he added. Earlier, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan and his wife Ayesha had also put out a video on social media to send an important message regarding domestic violence. Dhawan urged people to put an end to this social evil by choosing the right partner for themselves.

"While I enjoy my time at home with my loving family, I am truly sad and disheartened and sad to hear about domestic violence still existing in today's time and we need to put an end to it. Choose a kind and loving partnership and say no to violence," read his Twitter post which he published in April.

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Teachers always try to motivate students to learn! And what is a best way to learn other than involving your pets in your study? A legal scholar, Marie-Amelie George in her trial to make learning fun asked her students to send her the pictures of their pet doing the most unusual of all activities they do –doing homework.

The pictures that make up for an under-rated photography genre, prove that pets can be a cute study companion. George posted a picture of a dog doing what looks like it is reading a book that started a trail of pictures of their pets enlightening themselves with some reading.

I ask my students to send me photos of their dogs doing class work. It’s an under-appreciated photography genre. pic.twitter.com/oxXFicXmue

— Marie-Amélie George (@ProfMAGeorge) April 15, 2020

The picture posted on April 16, garnered more than 352,400 likes and was retweeted over 52,600 times. Here are some more pictures of pets doing their homework.

Cats only check your work w a disapproving gaze. pic.twitter.com/zmWXmF7QeK

— 0000 1000 0110 0111 0101 0011 0000 1001 (@CJHicks15) April 16, 2020

He has his own work area.... A bit small though. pic.twitter.com/AxT505vgob

— Ryan Sorensen (@ryanoss123) April 16, 2020

pic.twitter.com/GLsZZBYo9E

— Libby Adler (@libby_adler) April 15, 2020

Beanbag likes to study maps. pic.twitter.com/j5XFshS7HN

— Karla (@Heyitskarla) April 16, 2020

What do you think of this new genre in photography?

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Health officials in Singapore said on Monday that they reported a record 1,426 new Coronavirus cases, out of which 1,410 are foreign workers, including Indians residing in dormitories, health officials said. With the fresh cases, the total number of Coronavirus cases in the city-state stands at 8,014, the Ministry of Health said.

"We are still working through the details of the cases," said the ministry in a statement. A total of 18 foreign worker dormitories have been gazetted as isolation areas, as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. As of Sunday, the cluster at S11 Dormitory at Punggol remained the biggest, with 1,508 confirmed cases.

The next biggest cluster was at Sungei Tengah Lodge, with 521 confirmed cases. Though the dormitories are being disinfected and bedding accommodation re-arranged, most of these were overcrowded, leading to a large number of cases as foreign workers are now undergoing screening and testing. All foreign workers in the construction sector have been placed on mandatory stay-home notices until May 4 as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Manpower and the Building and Construction Authority noted that while the recent rise in the number of infected foreign workers has mostly been concentrated in dormitories, there have been cases at construction sites.

SL won't relax curfew
The Sri Lankan government on Monday dropped its decision to relax the nationwide curfew and extended it to April 27 following a sudden spike of 41 cases in the past 24 hours.

1,410
No. of foreign workers

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be back at work in 10 Downing Street on Monday, after recovering ving a London hospital in his fight against the novel coronavirus, Xinhua news agency stated after citing British media reports on Saturday night. Johnson told his cabinet colleagues that he will be back to his normal schedule following his treatment in St. Thomas' Hospital in London for COVID-19. Depending on doctors' advice, Johnson may host Monday's daily Downing Street news conference and possibly take on the new Labour leader Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Sky News reported.

"He is 'raring to go' and will be back Monday," Sky News noted, citing a Downing Street source. Johnson said on April 12 that he had left the hospital "after a week in which the NHS has saved my life, no question." Johnson, who spent three nights in intensive care in the hospital, spent a week in Chequers, the prime minister's country house after leaving hospital.

"He had a Chequers meeting with advisers on Friday and he will be meeting the (British) health secretary, Matt Hancock, and getting back to his normal schedule," Sky News reported. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is also the first secretary of state, had been deputized by Johnson to carry out his duties during his illness.

Earlier in the day, the British Department of Health said that a further 813 people had died of COVID-19 as of 1600 GMT on Friday, bringing the death toll to 20,319 and making UK the fifth nation globally to pass the grim milestone of 20,000 deaths, after the United States, Italy, Spain and France. Care home deaths and those in the community are still excluded from the British tally.

The UK-wide figure has doubled in less than two weeks. A total of 148,377 people have now tested positive for the virus in the country, a jump of 4,913 in 24 hours.

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A Singapore-based Indian worker and his colleague were killed in an accident involving a car and the motorcycle they were on, it was reported.

The Police were alerted on Saturday morning that a male motorcyclist from Malaysia, 27, and the pillion rider, Sulthan Abdul Kathar Rahman Kareem, 33, from India, were involved in an accident with a sedan car at the junction of Hougang Avenue 3 and Airport Road, The Straits Times reported on Sunday.

The two were taken to the Changi General Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. The two colleagues were heading to a restaurant where they worked, said a relative of Sulthan's.

"My cousin is the sole bread winner of his family, who were living back home in the Kottaipattinam village in southern India," the relative added. Prior to his death, Sulthan had been working in Singapore for over four years.

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Almost 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy, nearly half of the global workforce, face an immediate danger of losing their livelihoods due to the continued sharp decline in working hours because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said. Over 430 million enterprises in hard-hit sectors such as retail and manufacturing risk "serious disruption", the UN agency added. The findings appear in the ILO Monitor third edition released on Wednesday.

Globally, there are some 3.3 billion workers. Two billion have jobs in the informal economy, the most vulnerable workers in the labour market. ILO said 1.6 billion in the informal economy "have suffered massive damage to their capacity to earn a living" as a result of the economic meltdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to lockdowns or because they work in hard-hit sectors, these workers globally have seen a 60 per cent drop in income during the first month of the crisis. This translates into a over 80 per cent decline in Africa and the Americas, 70 per cent in Europe and Central Asia, and 21.6 per cent in Asia and the Pacific, the ILO said.

The ILO called for "urgent, targeted and flexible measures" to support both workers and business, particularly smaller enterprises and those in the informal economy.

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Millions of people were allowed to return to work in Italy Monday as Europe's longest lockdown started to ease, while countries from Iceland to India took a patchwork of steps to loosen Coronavirus restrictions. Businesses including hairdressers in Greece and restaurants in Lebanon were opening their doors under new conditions.

With pressure growing in many countries for more measures to restart the economy, politicians also were trying to boost funding for research into a vaccine for COVID-19. There are hopes that one could be available in months, but warnings that it could take much longer.

Italy, the first European country to be hit by the pandemic and a nation with one of the world's highest death tolls, started stirring after its two-month shutdown. In all, 4.4 million Italians were able to return to work, and restrictions on movement eased. Traffic in downtown Rome picked up, construction sites and manufacturing operations resumed, and flower vendors returned to the Campo dei Fiori market for the first time since March 11.

As infection rates have fallen in large parts of Europe, tentative efforts to restart public life are gathering pace. But Europeans' new-found freedoms are limited as officials are wary of setting off a second wave of infections.

In Italy, mourners were able to attend funerals - but services were limited to 15 people and there was still no word on when Masses would resume. Restaurants scrubbed their floors in preparation for take-out service, but sit-down service is several weeks away.

Italians still have to carry certifications explaining why they are out. The list of acceptable reasons has now been expanded to include visits to family and lovers, but just who falls into that category is still unclear.

Russia braces for quick surge in cases

Russian officials on Monday reported a steady rise in the number of the COVID-19 infections, fueling concerns that the hospitals could be overwhelmed. The task force dealing with the outbreak reported 10,581 new cases on Monday, taking the total to 1,45,268, including 1,356 deaths. Officials have voiced fears that the holidays could cause a surge in contagion.

Spain sees lowest daily death toll

For a second day in a row, Spanish health officials are reporting 164 new deaths from COVID-19, the lowest daily death toll in six weeks, to a total of 25,428. The figures came as a respite for a country that has spent seven weeks under a strict lockdown and that on Monday entered the first stage of its four-phase lockdown rollback.

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Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, tech giants Facebook and Google will allow the majority of their employees to work from home.

Jio has introduced an annual work-from-home annual plan for Rs 2399 that gives its users 2GB daily data. It has also brought in three work-from-home add-on plans.

According to a PTI report, all state governments except Maharashtra have been paying for the railway costs to ferry passengers to their native places

The US-based firm also expects most offices to stay closed until July 6. Facebook currently employs 48,268 people, an increase of 28 percent (year-over-year)

Under complete lockdown less than a quarter of India's $2.8 trillion economy is functional. We are expected to lose over Rs 32,000 crore ($4.5 billion) every day during the lockdown

Jio has also announced new add-on data packs under work from home theme

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has reported that revenues increased by 4.4 percent in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, in its annual report for the year.

The Australian Government has said that it intends to extend its network of free trade agreements, as part of its new foreign policy agenda.

Income from assets of French nationals who work in a state other than a member state of the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland may be subject to French social security contributions, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The OECD Global Forum has released eight peer review reports, for Brunei, Macau, Switzerland, Barbados, the Seychelles, Liberia, Peru, and Tunisia, on the jurisdictions' efforts to adopt and comply with international tax standards on transparency and the exchange of tax-related information on request.

Ritalin and similar medications, commonly prescribed to patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also used by healthy people as a "study

The OECD has announced that the next Tax Talks webcast will be held on October 9. It will update stakeholders on its work to develop new international tax rules.

In a new report for G20 ministers, the OECD has provided an update on its work to tackle tax base erosion and profit shifting relating to multinational businesses.

Releasing a progress update, the OECD said international efforts to curb harmful tax practices and prevent the misuse of preferential tax regimes are having a tangible impact worldwide.