March 2020

‘We survived crises, 2004 Tsunami, Chennai floods’ – Balaji’s motivational message amid COVID-19 threat Former India fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji on Sunday said that human beings across the world are designed to survive challenging times. Balaji’s remarks came at a time when the ongoing coronavirus crisis has brought normal lives to a halt all across the globe. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi enforced a nationwide lockdown earlier this week in the wake of rising coronavirus cases in the country. Speaking in an interview, Balaji said that our ancestors were able to fight off other difficult times as well. “We are...

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin fears 2019-20 season could be lost UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said 2019-20 season could be lost if leagues are unable to resume by the end of June due to the coronavirus outbreak. Football across the world has been suspended due to the pandemic, with La Liga confirming on Monday the competition has been halted indefinitely. Ceferin says UEFA do have plans for the future but much will depend on what happens in the next weeks and months. Source: Barca Blaugranes

‘I will be selfish if I think about cricket, IPL’: Harbhajan Singh Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh does not want to think too far ahead and speak about the IPL even as the country is facing a lockdown owing to the coronavirus pandemic. “Honestly in this time, cricket does not come in my mind in the past 15 days. Cricket is a very small thing in front of the country. I will be selfish if would be thinking about cricket and IPL. Our priority should healthy and fit India. Sports will only take place if we stay safe and healthy. Cricket...

England skipper Heather Knight to volunteer for NHS to help combat COVID-19 in UK London: England women’s cricket team captain Heather Knight has joined the National Health Service (NHS) as a volunteer to help the healthcare system fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The 29-year-old Knight who has played seven Tests, 101 ODIs and 74 T20Is for England will help in transporting medicines and spreading awareness about the pandemic in the United Kingdom, that has reported at least 14,543 cases of the novel coronavirus. “I signed up to the NHS’ volunteer scheme as I have a lot of...

ICC salutes ‘real world hero’ Joginder Sharma who is on cop duty during coronavirus lockdown India cricketer Joginder Sharma, who will be forever remembered for his final over in the 2007 T20 World Cup that helped India lift the trophy, is currently on the streets carrying out his duty as a police-officer amid the lockdown enforced by the government to fight the Covid-19. For fulfilling his duty in the challenging time, ICC saluted the World Cup-winning hero in a tweet on Saturday. Joginder Sharma is currently posted in Hisar as the nation observes a 21-day lockdown till April 14 to...

People don’t call me Arun Govil, they call me Ram: ”Ramayan” star Mumbai, Mar 29 (PTI) When one tries to imagine Lord Ram, they invoke Arun Govil”s smiling face from Ramanand Sagar”s “Ramayan” and the actor says he is amazed that even after 33 years his image as the noble prince is so fresh in the minds of the viewers. The epic show, which also featured Deepika Chikhalia as Goddess Sita, started its yet another telecast on Doordarshan on Saturday. Its rerun comes at a time when the whole country is under the 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of...

Princess Maria Teresa of Spain becomes first royal to die from COVID-19 Spanish Princess Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma has become the first royal to pass away due to coronavirus complications. According to Fox News, the 86-year-old was a cousin of Spain’s King Felipe VI. Her brother Prince Sixto Enrique de Borbon, the Duke of Aranjuez, announced on Facebook that she died after contracting COVID-19. The post reads, “On this afternoon our sister Maria Teresa de Borbon Parma and Borbon Busset, a victim of the coronavirus COVID-19, died in Paris at the age of eighty-six.” Princess Teresa’s death comes weeks after...

Salman Khan to donate for 25,000 daily wage workers in Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan has pledged to donate for 25,000 daily wage artistes of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), whose livelihood has been severely affected owing to the lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak, reveals its president, BN Tiwari. The Hindi film industry has been shut since mid-March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While celebrities like Karan Johar, Taapsee Pannu and Rajkummar Rao have pledged to donate for the daily wage artistes through an initiative of the Art of Living and The Indian Film and Television industry, Salman, it seems, will be the...

Coronavirus Outbreak: India’s economic growth likely to decline by 200 bps in FY21, says Yashwant Sinha New Delhi: India’s economic growth is likely to decline by 2 percentage points in the next financial year due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic and the consequent 21-day countrywide lockdown, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha said on Friday. Sinha said India was already facing high unemployment and the pandemic has added to the woes. “My own estimate is that the 21-day countrywide lockdown which has been enforced, itself will result in shaving off at least 1 percentage point of GDP. And if you take...

No fuel crisis in India; enough stock of petrol, diesel, LPG available to last lockdown: Indian Oil Corp India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, has enough petrol, diesel and cooking gas (LPG) in stocks to last way beyond the three-week nationwide lockdown as all plants and supply locations are fully operational, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh said. Singh, who continued to oversee the mammoth operations of ensuring that fuel reaches every nook and corner despite bereavement of his father on the day 21-day lockdown was declared, said there is no shortage of any fuel in the country and...