Former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar wants Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to play the lead character if ever a biopic is made on his cricketing journey.

Akhtar has always been a fan of Khan, considering the number of times he has praised the Bollywood star. In 2016, he met the Bollywood actor in Dubai and tweeted a picture saying, "I really enjoyed my time with Salman Khan in Dubai. Great work is being done by his Being Human foundation."

And now, the Rawalpindi Express has stated he would like to see the 54-year-old Indian actor portray him on the big screen if a biopic was made on the former Pakistan speedster.

"If ever my biopic is made, I want Salman Khan to play the lead in it," Akhtar was quoted as saying by Pakistan journalist Saj Sadiq on his Twitter handle.

Biopic of a cricketer has the potential to attract many eyeballs as was the case when a movie on former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was made few years ago.

More recently, a movie on Team India's historic 1983 World Cup winning campaign Kapil Dev was supposed to hit the theatres but had to be postponed due to coronavirus pandemic.

Akhtar represented Pakistan in 46 Tests and 163 ODIs in which he scalped 178 and 247 wickets respectively. Besides, he also played 15 T20Is for the Men in Green in which he picked 19 wickets. He is counted among one of the fastest bowlers to have played the gamne of cricket.

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A furious US President Donald Trump on Monday accused the American media of giving unfair coverage to his fight against the Coronavirus and played video clips appreciating his administration's efforts in containing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. "I mean, if you had libel laws, they (the media) would have been out of business even before they'll end up going out of business. So it's too bad," Trump told reporters during his White House news conference on Coronavirus. "We really have done this right. The problem is the press doesn't cover it the way it should be," he said. He alleged that several news outlets, including the New York Times, are biased.

"I have never seen a video like that playing in this room. It looks a bit like a campaign ad. Who produced a video for you?" he was asked by a reporter. "That was done by a group in the office and it was done just by — we just put some clips together. I bet I have over 100 more clips even better than them. They were just pieced together over the last two hours," Trump said. The Washington Post alleged that this was a campaign style video. According to Politico, Trump "fiercely defended" his administration's response to the Coronavirus at the briefing, complete with a campaign-ad-like video aimed at bolstering his case.

The US has over 5,50,000 confirmed cases of infections. It has recorded 1,509 deaths related to the pandemic over the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 23,529, the most of any country. Trump, however, said the number of daily new infections remained flat nationwide over the weekend, sending clear evidence that the aggressive strategy to combat it is working. He insisted on easing restrictions by May and claimed that he has 'total authority' to take a call on lifting the restrictions that ends on April 30, according to reports. The Trump administration is considering easing the stay-at-home orders from May 1.

"We don't have a king. We have an elected president. The Constitution clearly says the powers that are not specifically listed for the federal government are reserved for the states, and the bounds between federal and state authority are central to the Constitution — one of the great balances of power," CNN quoted Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as saying. So far, at least 1,21,787 people have died from the virus and 1,947,727 have tested positive.

1,509
Total no. of death recorded in the US in 24 hours

Trump denies plan to sack Fauci

Donald Trump has dismissed rumours that he was going to fire his top medical advisor on the pandemic. Unusually, the evening briefing at the White House began with a statement by the internationally renowned Dr Anthony Fauci, seeking to defuse speculation that he had fallen out with the Republican president. Trump, who on Sunday fuelled speculation by retweeting a critical comment with the hashtag #FireFauci, sought to draw a line under the latest White House turmoil. "I like him," he said of Fauci. "I hear I'm going to fire him. I'm not gonna fire him, I think he's a wonderful guy." But Trump then launched into a sustained assault on other targets, demonstrating his frustration with accusations that he has mishandled the crisis.

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The European Union on Wednesday moved to head off a chaotic and potentially disastrous easing of restrictions that are limiting the spread of the Coronavirus, warning its 27 nations to move very cautiously as they return to normal life and base their actions on scientific advice.

With Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark already lifting some lockdown measures, the EU's executive arm, the European Commission (EC), rushed out its roadmap for members of the world's biggest trade bloc to coordinate an exit from the lockdowns, which they expect should take at least a few months and involve large-scale testing.

Denmark begins to gradually relax its lockdown measures, allowing preschool to fifth grade return to school on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

According to a tally compiled by AFP, more than one million cases of the Coronavirus have been detected in Europe, just over half the global total. With at least 1,003,284 cases, including 84,465 deaths, Europe is the worst hit continent.

The EC did not spell out exactly how EU countries should make the transition, but warned that lifting restrictions will "unavoidably lead to a corresponding increase in new cases," the commission said that this should only start when the spread of the disease has dropped significantly and for some time, and when hospitals can cope with more patients.

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With humans in their homes amid the coronavirus lockdown, animals are roaming free on the streets. After pictures of dolphins off Marine Drive, peacocks venturing in the streets of Mumbai and tigers taking a stroll in the forests of Madhya Pradesh went viral, stunning pictures of lions sleeping in a park in South Africa is making rounds on social media.  

 The picture posted on Twitter by the Kruger National Park in South Africa, show the rare sight of the pack of lions sleeping in the pathways of the park. Clicked by Section ranger Richard Sowry, the caption for the post reads, “Kruger visitors that tourists do not normally see.  #SALockdown This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see.  This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.”

Kruger visitors that tourists do not normally see. #SALockdown This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see. This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.
📸Section Ranger Richard Sowry pic.twitter.com/jFUBAWvmsA

— Kruger National Park (@SANParksKNP) April 15, 2020

The astounding pictures that were posted on Twitter on Wednesday, garnered over 19,500 likes and was retweeted more than 6,700 times. The users commenting on the post spoke how such rare sights are seen when humans are at home and how mother nature is recovering from the wounds.

Now mother earth belongs to all of us as nature intended.

— Aaron Moloisi (@aaronmoloisi) April 16, 2020

Mother nature is enjoying the #lockdown. No humans to bother them.

— Emile van Rooyen (@EmilevanRooyen2) April 15, 2020

We’re seeing glimpses of the world when the humans are gone ...

— Jason Randa (@JasonRanda2) April 16, 2020

Looks pretty nice. I've seen a few videos from around the world other animals walking through city streets and looking around and then just continuing to do their thing. It's quite beautiful and they are wondering where we are.

— Lori Brown (@LoriBrown82) April 17, 2020

The animals are loving having their turf back.

— Heartbeat Of Africa (@PeterDermauw) April 15, 2020

What do you think about the pictures?

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On most mornings, Somaya Farooqi and four other teenage girls pile into her dad's car and head to a mechanic's workshop. They use back roads to skirt police checkpoints set up to enforce a lockdown in Herat, one of Afghanistan's hot spots of the pandemic.

The members of Afghanistan's prize-winning girls' robotics team say they're on a live-saving mission " to build a ventilator from used car parts and help their war-stricken country battle the virus.

"If we even save one life with our device, we will be proud," said Farooqi, 17. Afghanistan faces the pandemic nearly empty-handed.It has only 400 ventilators for a population of over 36.6 million. So far, it has reported just over 900 cases, including 30 deaths, but the actual number is suspected to be much higher since test kits are in short supply.

Farooqi and her team members, ages 14 to 17, are experimenting with two different designs, including an open-source blueprint from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The parts being used include the motor of a Toyota windshield wiper, batteries and sets of bag valve masks, or manual oxygen pumps. A group of mechanics helps them build the frame of a ventilator.

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A UK court on Monday dismissed fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya's appeal against extradition to India.

"We consider that while the scope of the prima facie case found by the Senior District Judge (SDJ) is in some respects wider than that alleged by the respondent in India. There is a prima facie case which, in seven important respects, coincides with the allegations in India," a part of the order by the UK court read.

A CBI spokesperson confirmed to ANI that the "UK high court dismissed Mallya's appeal against his extradition to India." The 64-year-old businessman had begun the lengthy appeals process in the UK court in February this year against an order to extradite him to India to face multiple charges relating to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines.

It followed a ruling by a lower court -- the Westminster Magistrate's Court -- in December 2018 - that Mallya should be sent to India to face the charges, including one of money laundering to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. The businessman fled India in March 2016 and has been living in the UK since then.

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President Donald Trump has said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend all immigration to the US to "protect" the jobs of Americans and to fight the "invisible attack" on the country by the novel Coronavirus, a move that was widely criticised by the Democrats, including Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris.
The outbreak has killed more than 42,094 people in the US, the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 7,50,000 cases have been confirmed.

Details of Trump's executive order were not immediately known. He also did not indicate when he would sign such an order. His announcement comes as his administration seeks to reopen parts of the US from the crippling COVID-19 shutdown.

Donald Trump

However, the NBC News reported that the move "had been under consideration for a while," a senior administration official was quoted as saying by the report. The official said the details about how the plan would be implemented and how many countries would be affected "will be forthcoming," the report added.

Immigration has long been an issue of President Trump. He has been calling for a merit-based immigration system. Since the pandemic began, the administration had already restricted foreign visitors from China, Europe, Canada and Mexico. And also suspended all routine visa services, both immigrant and non-immigrant, around the world. "Trump failed to take this crisis seriously from day 1. His abandonment of his role as president has cost lives. And now, he's shamelessly politicising this pandemic to double down on his anti-immigrant agenda," Harris tweeted.

"It is about the message the president wants to send. He wants people to turn against 'the other.' And, regardless of the valuable contributions immigrants are making to the response and recovery, he sees immigrants as the easiest to blame," Ali Noorani, the executive director of the National Immigration Forum, was quoted as saying by CNN.

42,094
COVID-19 deaths in the US

Don't rush to ease restrictions, warns WHO

A couple gets ice cream in Ludwigsburg as Germany relaxes curbs. Pic/AFP

The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that rushing to ease Coronavirus restrictions will likely lead to a resurgence of the illness, a warning that comes as governments start rolling out plans to get their economies up and running again. "This is not the time to be lax. Instead, we need to ready ourselves for a new way of living for the foreseeable future," said Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

Around the world, step-by-step reopenings were underway in Europe, where the crisis has begun to ebb in places such as Italy, Spain and Germany. The pandemic has killed over 1,70,000 people globally, close to two thirds of them in hardest-hit Europe, according to an AFP tally Tuesday at 0935 GMT. In total, 1,70,226 people have died worldwide, including 106,737 in Europe, and there are 2,483,086 recorded cases. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday extended the lockdown till June 1 and urged citizens to "persevere" with the strict restrictions, as the city-state reported 1,111 new cases, a majority them foreign workers living in dormitories, taking the total infections to 9,125.

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A video of an elderly man tearing up after receiving a gift from his caregiver has melted hearts online and the story behind it is extremely emotional. Ken Bembow, a British war veteran has been staying in a elderly assisting  facility and one of the care givers there noticed that he sleeps with his late wife’s photograph.

As she realized that sleeping next to a picture in a glass frame can hurt him, caregiver Kia Mariah Tobin came up with an idea to give Bembow a unique gift. She gifted him a pillow with his wife’s photo printed on it. The precious moment of Bembow tearing up while receiving the gift was captured on camera and was shared on Facebook that has touched hearts.

The care home where Bembow stays shared the video on their Facebook page, with the caption that reads, “We know our residents are missing their loved ones at this time but let’s not forget those who sadly aren’t here with us anymore.” The caption further detailed how Tobin presented him the pillow.

The video posted last week garnered over 4 lakh views on Facebook with more than 7,000 likes and was shared over 5,200 times. The users commenting on the video lauded the caregiver for giving Bembow a thoughtful gift.

A user said, “What a lovely thing to do, I’m sure lots of residents in isolation would appreciate one. What a wonderful reaction, bless him.” Another user said, “Such a beautiful moment. I can’t stop watching it.” One user said, “Absolutely beautiful!  So thoughtful and so special. What an angel Kia is, and wonderful to see the bond between  her and Ken.”  A user said, “ I cried watching this absolutely beautiful, amazing young lady, she should be so so proud of herself and to the boss, you have a diamond working for you, an absolute diamond.”

What do you think about the video?

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Four tigers and three lions have tested COVID-19 positive at the Bronx Zoo in New York, authorities announced, weeks after a Malayan tiger at the facility was confirmed positive and six other big cats were said to be exhibiting similar symptoms. On April 5, the Wildlife Conservation Society that runs the New York zoo, reported that one tiger had tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first known COVID-19 infection found in a big cat, reports Efe news.

The first big cat, a four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia, developed a dry cough and loss of appetite in late March, while Nadia's sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions also showed the same symptoms. "We can confirm that the three other tigers in Tiger Mountain and the three African lions that exhibited a cough have also tested positive for COVID-19," the zoo said in a statement on Wednesday.

The test was done by using a faecal sample so that the animals did not have to be placed under anesthesia, as with the Malayan tiger. "The faecal tests confirmed our suspicion that all seven cats had the infection, and also determined that one tiger at Tiger Mountain that never developed a cough was also positive for the disease," it added. The wildlife centre said that "all eight cats continue to do well. They are behaving normally, eating well, and their coughing is greatly reduced".

"We tested the tigers and lions out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about COVID-19 will contribute to the world's continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus," said the zoo officials. "The testing of these cats was done in veterinary laboratories and resources used did not take from those being used for human testing," they added.

It is still believed that the animals were infected by an asymptomatic staff member who had contact with the animals before developing symptoms. As of Wednesday, two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first domestic animal cases detected in the US. Both animals live in different areas of New York state, the current epicentre of the pandemic not only in the US but worldwide.

They have mild respiratory problems and are expected to recover soon, according to a statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Veterinary Services Laboratories of the Department of Agriculture.

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Cash-rich China on Thursday announced an additional USD 30 million grant to the World Health Organization to support its global fight against the deadly coronavirus, days after Beijing expressed "serious concern" over President Donald Trump's decision to freeze US' funding for the UN health agency over its handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang made the announcement at a media briefing here. The grant will be in addition to the USD 20 million provided by China, the world's second largest economy, earlier to the WHO.

"China has decided to donate another USD 30 million in cash to the WHO in addition to the USD 20 million cash donation to support the global fight against COVID-19 to help strengthen developing countries health systems," Geng said. He clarified that the additional USD 30 million funding was "aimed to COVID-19 response and supporting the health systems of developing countries".

"This is a different thing from the membership dues paid by China," he said. China hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency on April 15. Beijing's response came a day after Trump announced to put a "very powerful" hold on US' funding to the WHO, accusing the UN agency of being "very China-centric" and criticising it for having "missed the call" in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The US is the largest donor to the Geneva-based WHO.

Trump also criticised the organisation's relationship with China. "American taxpayers provide between USD 400m and USD 500 million per year to the WHO; in contrast China contributes roughly USD 40 million a year, even less. As the organisation's leading sponsor, the United States has a duty to insist on full accountability," he said. While announcing the new funding, Geng without referring to Trump's criticism, expressed China's full backing for the WHO and its Director General Dr General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, whom Trump has termed as pro-China.

"Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the WHO and its Chief Dr Tedros have been actively fulfilling their duties in upholding scientific, objective and an impartial stance. It played an important role in helping the relevant countries strengthen their pandemic response and promote international cooperation," Geng said.
"As the global fight against COVID-19 is at a crucial stage supporting the WHO is defending the ideals and principles of multilateralism and upholding the status and authority of the UN," he said.

Terming the virus the "common enemy of all", Geng said solidarity was the only weapon to defeat it. "Our donation is made out of support and trust of Chinese government and people for the WHO," Geng said, adding that "this is also our way of contributing to global public health and global efforts against the pandemic" Earlier while responding to Trump's announcement to freeze US' funding for the WHO, another Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian had said: "China expresses serious concern over the US announcement to halt its funding to WHO".

He said China will always support the Geneva-based WHO in playing an important role in international public health and global anti-epidemic response. Asked if China will step-up funding to the WHO to replace the US contributions, Zhao had said, "China has provided USD 20 million to the WHO (to fight COVID-19) and we will study the relevant matter", indicating that Beijing was considering to increase its contribution to the global health body.

Both China and the WHO faced serious criticism over lack of transparency especially about the discovery of the coronavirus in December last year and its silent spread in Wuhan until Beijing imposed a lockdown in the city on January 23. By that time, over five million people from Wuhan were reported to have left for holiday destinations at home and abroad to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which many allege resulted in the spreading of the deadly virus worldwide.

China has denied the allegations of any cover-up, saying it was the first country to report the COVID-19 to the WHO.

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Islamabad: Pakistan has received an emergency loan of $1.39 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to boost its foreign exchange reserves in the wake of the further economic downturn due to the Coronavirus crisis. The $1.39 billion loan is in addition to the $6 billion bailout package that Pakistan has signed with the in July last year to stave off a balance of payment crisis.

Pakistan in March had requested the IMF for a low-cost, fast-disbursing loan under its Rapid Financing Instrument to deal with the adverse economic impact of COVID-19. Pakistan on Thursday reported 742 new cases and 15 more deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the infection tally to 10,513 with 224 deaths in the country.

Globally, more than 2.6 million people are infected and at least 1,83,000 killed by the deadly COVID-19. 

Govt gives in to imams' demand

Pakistan government has given in to the demands of the imams who demanded that mosques be exempted from the COVID-19 lockdown during Ramzan, New York Times reported on Thursday. It said the govt had on Saturday signed a deal allowing mosques to remain open if people follow 20 rules, including maintaining a six-foot distance while praying.

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Indian-American Seema Nanda has announced that she was stepping down as the CEO of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), it was reported. The Boston College Law School and Brown University grad, who took over as the DNC CEO in June 2018, succeeding Mary Beth Cahill, announced the move via Twitter on Friday, the American Bazaar reported.

"After two years, I will be stepping down as CEO of the DNC. I couldn't be prouder of the infrastructure we have built, the primary process we have run, and the team we have built. "I look forward to continuing the fight for our democracy and to elect Democrats everywhere," she added.

Nanda however, did not reveal the reason behind her decision nor did she announce her next move. During her tenure, Nanda worked closely with DNC Chair Tom Perez, managing the group's day-to-day operations.

The two had worked together at the Department of Labor during the former administration of President Barack Obama. Perez's term as DNC chair will end after the November presidential election. While accepting the position in 2018, Nanda described the job as "the opportunity of a lifetime".

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The Hong Kong airport is using several latest disinfection technologies including a full-body disinfection channel and cleaning robots to reduce the risk of the COVID-19 spread.

The disinfection channel is an enclosed facility similar to a telephone booth in size where users can complete disinfection and sanitizing procedures in 40 seconds, the city's Airport Authority (AA) said in a statement on Sunday.

The interior surface of the facility is equipped with antimicrobial coating which can remotely kill virus and bacteria on human bodies and clothing by using the technologies of photocatalyst and "nano needles" Xinhua news agency quoted the AA as saying, noting that the Hong Kong International Airport is the world's first to use the facility.

Currently, the disinfection channel is used by public health staff who bear quarantine duties at the airport.

Autonomous cleaning robots have also been used to ensure thorough disinfection of public areas and passenger facilities at the airport.

The cylindrical robots, equipped with ultra violet light sterilizer and air sterilizer, operate round-the-clock in public toilets and key operating areas in the terminal building, the AA said.

The robots can move around autonomously and sterilize up to 99.99 per cent of bacteria in its vicinity, including both the air and object surfaces, in just 10 minutes.

Besides, the AA is also conducting a pilot test of applying antimicrobial coating at all passenger facilities, including check-in counters, baggage trolleys and elevator buttons, among others.

After completion of the trial in May, the AA will consider implementing it as a long term disinfection measure. Hong Kong has reported 1,037 coronavirus cases with four deaths.

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Joining more than 1,000 others, Djemba Diatite stood for hours in line to feed her growing family, grateful for handouts of fruits, vegetables and soap. It was her first time accepting charity, but she had no choice. The pandemic has turned her small world upside down.

With open air markets closed, supermarket prices skyrocketing, an out-of-work husband, two children to feed and another on the way, Diatite said even tomatoes are now too expensive. "This is my only solution," she said.

Clichy-sous-Bois — where fiery nationwide riots started in 2005 — is just 23 km northeast of the French capital, but with its rows of housing projects, restless youth and residents teetering on the poverty line, it feels light years away.

The town mayor, seeing a looming crisis triggered by food shortages, sounded the alarm, and with scattered unrest simmering in impoverished suburbs, the French government announced a plan for urgent food assistance of 39 million euros for communities in need. "I feel the social crisis is growing with confinement," said Clichy-Sous-Bois Mayor Olivier Klein. The government will detail to parliament on Tuesday how it plans to pull the country out of the lockdown.

Boris to be back to work from Monday

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work at 10 Downing Street in London on Monday. The 55-year-old has been recuperating at his prime ministerial countryside retreat at Chequers since he was discharged on April 12 and had put UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in charge as his deputy. Johnson is reportedly "raring to go" and will be back to an initially light work schedule from next week, starting with a meeting with UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

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In the six weeks up to April 19, at least 4,093 people were arrested from across London for domestic abuse offences -- nearly 100 a day on an average -- during the coronavirus lockdown in the UK, the Metropolitan Police has revealed.

Charges and cautions have increased by 24 per cent since March 9, when people with COVID-19 symptoms were asked to self-isolate, compared to last year, Xinhua news agency quoted Commander Sue Williams, the Met's lead for safeguarding, as saying on Sunday.

Domestic incidents, which can include family rows not recorded as crimes, have seen a 3 per cent increase since last year, and jumped by 9 per cent between March 9 and April 19, said the Met Police.

There have been two domestic-related murders recorded in London as police continue to warn of an increased risk of abuse during the strict measures in place, said the Scotland Yard, metonym for the headquarters of the Met Police.

"The COVID-19 restrictions and 'stay at home' instruction is vital to managing this public health crisis, but unfortunately it has also left current and potential victims of domestic abuse even more vulnerable and isolated," said Williams.

The Met Police gave examples of some of the cases it has dealt with in recent weeks, including one in which police discovered that a man reported by a victim was linked to firearms.

"Officers located him within three hours of receiving the report and searched his vehicle, finding two sawn-off shotguns. A cannabis factory was also discovered. The man was subsequently charged and is awaiting trial," said the Scotland Yard in a statement.

Officers were also called to help a pregnant victim in east London, who had gone to a hospital to seek refuge after her partner assaulted and tormented her. Police said he was quickly arrested, but she was unwilling to support criminal action.

However, due to the evidence captured on body worn video, and witness accounts from staff at the hospital, the Crown Prosecution Service supported a victimless prosecution, and the suspect is awaiting trial, said the Met Police.

"Victims should be assured that they can leave their homes to escape harm or seek help, and they will not be penalized in any way for not maintaining social distancing, or otherwise breaching COVID-19 restrictions," said Williams. The UK has reported 154,037 coronavirus cases, with 20,794 deaths.

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Many Americans in India who had signed up for airlifts back to the US are now deciding to stay back and "ride it out" during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the State Department's top consular official. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ian Brownlee said on Tuesday that many who had enlisted for repatriation from India were not responding to offers of seats on the planes arranged by the department to take them home.

The number of recorded COVID-19 cases in the US reached 1 million on Tuesday, with 58,348 deaths, while India had only 31,368 officially recorded cases with 1,008 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Brownlee said: "Two weeks ago, we had a list of folks and we were pretty sure if we called (the) folks they'd show up at the airport and say, 'Yes, please.' We're now getting to the point on that list, we're having to make multiple calls for individual seats because people are deciding 'No,' they'd just as soon ride it out where they are."

Last week he said that 4,000 Americans had been brought back to the US and 6,000 were waiting for airlifts. India has cancelled passenger flights and rail transportation during the strict lockdown imposed on March 25.

Brownlee had spoken earlier of the massive logistics effort required to bring Americans from around the vast country to Mumbai and New Delhi, the departure points for the chartered flights.

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South Korean infectious disease experts have downplayed concerns that patients could get reinfected with COVID-19 after recovering. While hundreds in South Korea have tested positive again after their release from hospitals, Oh Myoung-don, who heads the central clinical panel on new infectious diseases, on Wednesday said there was a "high possibility" that such test results were flawed.

He said South Korea's standard real-time PCR tests, designed to amplify the genetic materials of the virus so that even tiny quantities are detected, doesn't reliably distinguish between remains of dead virus and infectious particles. He said lab tests on animals suggest that COVID-19 patients would maintain immunity for at least a year after their infections. He also said it was unlikely that the virus could be reactivated after remaining dormant when it doesn't seem to be a type that causes chronic illnesses.

277
No. of people tested positive after recovering

Construction fire near Seoul kills 8

A fire broke out on a construction site near Seoul on Wednesday, killing eight workers and leaving another 17 presumed dead. Local fire officials said the toll could rise as more people were believed to be trapped inside the warehouse that was under construction in Icheon. Another 14 or the 70 workers remained unaccounted for.

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The US Government, through its aid agency USAID, has announced a grant of an additional USD 3 million to India to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In coordination with the Indian government, the USAID is providing these funds to the Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project, an innovative financing platform of IPE Global, USAID said in a statement on Wednesday. US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, stated: "This additional funding to support India in its continuing efforts to combat COVID-19 is yet another example of the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and India."

To date, the USAID has provided USD 5.9 million to assist India in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. This assistance will help India slow the spread of COVID-19, provide care for the affected, disseminate essential public health messages to communities, and strengthen case finding and surveillance. Through the PAHAL project, the USAID will support the National Health Authority to establish a financing facility that can mobilize resources from the private sector to assist over 20,000 health facilities enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), India's health insurance scheme for 500 million poor and vulnerable people.

During the talks on April 04, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had agreed to deploy the full strength of the India-US partnership to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Early this month, India, at the request of President Donald Trump, had exported 35.82 lakh tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the US along with active pharmaceutical ingredient or API required in the manufacturing of the drug.

Trump had thanked India for its decision to export hydroxychloroquine to fight coronavirus and lauded Prime Minister Modi for his "strong leadership" in helping "not just India, but humanity" in this fight.

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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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Australian flag carrier, Qantas on Tuesday extended international flight cancellations till the end of July, but said that it was in a strong position to endure disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said that domestic flights would be cancelled till the end of June and international services until the end of July, adding that domestic and trans-Tasman services could be quickly reinstated should restrictions ease in coming weeks, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Australia has done an amazing job of flattening the curve and we're optimistic that domestic travel will start returning earlier than first thought, but we clearly won't be back to pre-coronavirus levels anytime soon," Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

"With the possible exception of New Zealand, international travel demand could take years to return to what it was."

The company, which includes budget branch Jetstar, also revealed it had secured a further A$550 million ($354 million) in debt funding, placing it in a stronger position to endure the COVID-19 crisis.

According to Qantas, by reducing expenditure and borrowing against its fleet of aircraft, the company could survive several recovery scenarios, including one where current travel restrictions persisted until December 2021.

The reduction in expenditure is largely due to the standing down of more than 25,000 staff who were forced to use leave entitlements before receiving delayed financial assistance from the government.

"The impact of this stand down is deeply regrettable but has been greatly softened by the Australian Government's JobKeeper program, which the Group commenced paying several weeks ahead of the official payment start date," the airline said in a statement.

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As a last ditch effort to prevent his extradition to India, embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Monday filed an application in UK Supreme Court to prevent implementation of an earlier order that made his return to India imminent.

The application came after a gap of almost two weeks after the London High Court on April 20 rejected a similar application and ordered his extradition to India to face enforcement authorities there in connection with a Rs 9,000 crore bank fraud and money laundering case involving his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The UK Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter later this week. Legal experts said that if the application is rejected by Supreme Court as well, then UK Home Secretary would have to sign on Mallya's extradition papers within 28 days.

Mallya's application in Supreme Court came on the last day when such an appeal could be made in the top court. The 64-year-old businessman was given 14 days to file such an application against the order of High Court. The high court dismissed his appeal against a Westminster Magistrates' Court extradition order certified by the UK Home Secretary.

Legal experts quoted above said it is unlikely for Mallya to get a reprieve from Supreme Court as it would only look as constitutional issues and may not tamper with high court's order if other aspects are in order.

This should be music to the ears of enforcement agencies in India who have been waiting for a long time get hold of the fugitive businessman. The ED has attached several properties of Mallya in the last few years under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Mallya is being investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the loan fraud case.

He was arrested by the UK authorities on April 20, 2017 on the request of the Indian investigative agencies.

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Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday said he witnessed a "significant breakthrough" by the country's biological research institute in developing an antibody to COVID-19 infection. Bennett visited the labs of the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), a secretive unit that works under the Prime Minister's Office, in Ness Ziona and was briefed by the research team, who revealed that the development phase of COVID-19 antibody or passive vaccine that attacks the virus and neutralizes it in the body has been complete, his office said in a statement cited by The Jerusalem Post.

IIBR is now working to patent its antibody and secure a contract for its commercial development. All legal procedures will be coordinated with the Defence Ministry. "I am proud of the Biological Institute staff, who have made a major breakthrough," Bennett was quoted as saying. "The Jewish creativity and ingenuity brought about this amazing achievement," he added.

Last month, IIBR announced that it had begun testing its antibody-based vaccine prototype on rodents. IIBR is also involved in plasma collection from people who have recovered from infection with the new coronavirus, in the hope that this might help research, the Post reported further.

A second Israeli research team, MigVax, has also reported that it is close to completing the first phase of development of a coronavirus vaccine. Last week, it secured a USD 12 million investment from OurCrowd to accelerate the path to clinical trials.

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India is projected to record the highest number of births in the 9 months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March, with more than 20 million babies expected to be born in the country between March and December, according to top UN body. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that pregnant mothers and babies born during the pandemic across the world were threatened by strained health systems and disruptions in services. An estimated 116 million babies will be born under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said on Wednesday, ahead of Mother's Day, observed on May 10.

These babies are projected to be born up to 40 weeks after COVID-19 was recognised as a pandemic on March 11. The highest numbers of births in the 9 months since the pandemic was declared are expected to occur in India, where 20.1 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16. Other countries with the expected highest numbers of births during this period are China (13.5 million), Nigeria (6.4 million), Pakistan (5 million) and Indonesia (4 million), it said. "Most of these countries had high neonatal mortality rates even before the pandemic and may see these levels increase with COVID-19 conditions," UNICEF said.

It is estimated that there will be 24.1 million births in India for the January-December 2020 period. UNICEF warned that COVID-19 containment measures can disrupt life-saving health services such as childbirth care, putting millions of pregnant mothers and their babies at great risk. Even wealthier countries are affected by this crisis. In the US, the sixth highest country in terms of expected number of births, over 3.3 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16.
"New mothers and newborns will be greeted by harsh realities," UNICEF said, adding they include global containment measures such as lockdowns and curfews; health centres overwhelmed with response efforts; supply and equipment shortages; and a lack of sufficient skilled birth attendants as health workers, including midwives, are redeployed to treat COVID-19 patients.

"Millions of mothers all over the world embarked on a journey of parenthood in the world as it was. They now must prepare to bring a life into the world as it has become ¿ a world where expecting mothers are afraid to go to health centres for fear of getting infected, or missing out on emergency care due to strained health services and lockdowns," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. "It is hard to imagine how much the coronavirus pandemic has recast motherhood" Fore said.
UNICEF said its analysis was based on data from World Population Prospects 2019 of the UN Population Division.

An average full-term pregnancy typically lasts a complete 9 months, or 39 to 40 weeks. For the purposes of this estimate, the number of births for a 40-week period in 2020 was calculated. The 40-week period of March 11 to December 16 is used in this estimate based upon the WHO's March 11 assessment that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic. UNICEF warned that although evidence suggests that pregnant mothers are not more affected by COVID-19 than others, countries need to ensure they still have access to antenatal, delivery and postnatal services.

Similarly, sick newborns need emergency services as they are at high risk of death. New families require support to start breastfeeding, and to get medicines, vaccines and nutrition to keep their babies healthy, it said. "This is a particularly poignant Mother's Day, as many families have been forced apart during the coronavirus pandemic, but it is also a time for unity, a time to bring everyone together in solidarity. We can help save lives by making sure that every pregnant mother receives the support she needs to give birth safely in the months to come," Fore said.

Issuing an urgent appeal to governments and health care providers to save lives in the coming months, UNICEF said efforts must be made to help pregnant women receive antenatal checkups, skilled delivery care, postnatal care services, and care related to COVID-19 as needed. Ensure health workers are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment and get priority testing and vaccination once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available so that can deliver high quality care to all pregnant women and newborn babies during the pandemic, it said.

While it is not yet known whether the virus is transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy and delivery, UNICEF advised all pregnant women to follow precautions to protect themselves from exposure to the virus. Closely monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek advice from the nearest designated facility if they have concerns or experience symptoms. Pregnant women should also take the same precautions to avoid COVID -19 infection as other people: practice physical distancing, avoid physical gatherings and use online health services, it said.

UNICEF said even before COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 2.8 million pregnant women and newborns died every year, or 1 every 11 seconds, mostly of preventable causes.
The agency called for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth.

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[Source: Research & Innovation] A revolutionary approach to neuro-rehabilitation developed by EU-funded researchers could help intensive care patients to recover, including survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Source: Research & Innovation] ‘For Europe to come out stronger after the Corona crisis, we need to already direct our investments towards game-changing innovations that create a sustainable and human centric digital future’, according to the vision statement of the European Innovation Council Advisory Board published today.

[Source: Research & Innovation] The Danish island of Bornholm is the first ever winner of the EU RESponsible Island Prize. The Danish island won the title in recognition for its innovative energy solutions and its contribution to a sustainable and climate-friendly Europe, the European Commission announced today. The second prize went to the island of Samsø, also in Denmark, and the third prize to the Orkney Islands in the United Kingdom.

[Source: Research & Innovation] A total of 117 innovative solutions to tackle the coronavirus have been selected as winners of the European Innovation Council-led #EUvsVirus Hackathon.

[Source: Research & Innovation] The European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Pilot will work with an extra €150 million to support game-changing innovations to tackle the coronavirus crisis. The additional budget, approved by the European Commission today, will fund the best start-ups and SMEs who applied under the March cut-off.

[Source: Research & Innovation] EU-funded researchers have developed an ultrasensitive test to rapidly, accurately and cost-effectively diagnose disease, underpinned by innovative biosensing technology that could help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV and cancer.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Polymer Comply Europe (PCE) is pleased to announce its next live webinar on the polynSPIRE project “Demonstration of innovative technologies towards a more efficient and sustainable plastic recycling”, organised on behalf of European Plastics Converters (EuPC) and the polynSPIRE project. The live webinar will focus on recycling and redesigning the plastics value chain are essential in reusing plastic waste material and avoiding landfill. Webinar agenda: Welcome & Introduction About CIRCE The polynSPIRE project: goals, challenges and progress Questions & Answers Closing

[Source: Research & Innovation] Generating safe antigens to induce immunity is one of several key steps in vaccine production. Purification is another, and it is typically a complex process. EU-funded researchers have designed a way to simplify the process, boost yields, limit waste and reduce costs, in a bid to help make more doses available more affordably.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Armed with a novel biosensor that uses acoustic waves to detect tumour DNA, an EU-funded project could increase the precision and affordability of cancer diagnosis and help make personalised treatment a reality for more patients.

PwC India has called for simplification of India's goods and services tax regime, in a report to mark 200 days since the regime entered into force.

India has approved amendments to its double tax agreement with Qatar.

India's Central Board of Direct Taxation announced on June 7, 2018, that during the first two months of June tax officials have been tasked with resolving disputes with taxpayers.

India's Central Board of Direct Taxes has launched a new consultation on proposals to amend Article 7 of India's double tax treaties on permanent establishment, and rule 10 in the Income Tax Rules, 1962, to establish a formula to bring within the charge to Indian tax a proportion of profits of a multinational deemed to have a significant digital presence in India. The country is considering using a formulary apportionment approach, akin to that proposed under the EU's Common Corporate Tax Base initiative.

The European Commission has asked the Netherlands to amend taxation rules that it says amount to obstacles to the cross-border transfer of pensions.

The European Commission has concluded that an exemption for transfer and transit passengers from the Irish air travel tax was in line with EU state aid rules.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has suggested that there could be an EU-UK customs union after Brexit.

The European Commission and the Swiss Federal Council have each approved proposals to link their emissions trading systems, meaning formal signature of a new agreement could take place by the end of the year.

The WTO's Dispute Settlement Body has formally endorsed the Appellate Body's decision to reverse a previous panel ruling that a tax break provided by Washington State to Boeing is a prohibited subsidy.

A number of proposed tax changes intended to boost Dutch competitiveness and combat tax avoidance have been included in the official agreement between the four parties forming the next Government of the Netherlands.

Members of the European Parliament have preliminarily agreed to continue with the aviation industry's current treatment under the EU's emissions trading scheme to allow for the development of a new industry-specific carbon tax arrangement.

A new study by PwC has concluded that abolishing Germany's flight ticket tax would provide a substantial boost to the German economy.

The European Council on November 10 authorized the signing of an agreement with Switzerland to link their emissions trading systems.

The Dutch Government has begun a public consultation exercise on plans to introduce a new tax on air travel by 2021.

The Swiss Federal Council is consulting on proposed changes to the CO2 Ordinance, which would link the Swiss and EU emissions trading systems.

Switzerland and the EU are to link their emissions trading systems from next year, after the Swiss Federal Council approved revisions to the country's Ordinance on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions.

ITD CEMENTATION INDIA share price has zoomed 11% and is presently trading at Rs 38.

Meanwhile, the BSE REALTY Index is at 1,345 (up 1.3%).

Among the top Gainers in the BSE REALTY Index today is ITD CEMENTATION INDIA (up 10.8%).

SOBHA LIMITED and OMAXE LTD are among the top losers today.

Over the last one year, ITD CEMENTATION INDIA has moved down from Rs 115 to Rs 38, registering a loss of Rs 78 (down 67.5%).

On the other hand, the BSE REALTY has moved down from 1,983 to 1,345, loss of 638 points (down 32.4%) during the last 12 months.

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 1.6%).

The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are RELIANCE IND. (up 4.0%), ICICI BANK (up 3.8%) and BHARTI AIRTEL (up 3.1%). Other gainers include HUL (up 2.7%) and KOTAK MAHINDRA BANK (up 2.7%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are SBI and INDUSIND BANK.

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 1.5%). The top gainers in the NSE Nifty include RELIANCE IND. (up 4.1%), ICICI BANK (up 3.8%) and DR. REDDYS LAB (up 3.7%). Other gainers include BHARTI AIRTEL (up 3.3%) and HUL (up 2.7%) are among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 16.56%).

The UK tax agency, HM Revenue and Customs, has released new guidance on its policies concerning cost-sharing groups following rulings from the European Court of Justice on their VAT treatment.