March 2020

Will not celebrate Holi, hold any Holi Milan function in view of COVID-19: JP Nadda Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s example, BJP President JP Nadda on Wednesday said he will not celebrate Holi or hold any Holi Milan function in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Countries across the world are making efforts to contain the spread of the disease, Nadda said on Twitter about an hour after the prime minister’s announcement. “The world is battling COVID-19 Novel Corona Virus. The countries & medical fraternity are jointly making efforts to contain its spread. Keeping this in mind, this year, I will...

Coronavirus treatment could be available by summer: US Vice President WASHINGTON : Drugs to treat the novel coronavirus could be available by this summer or fall, US Vice President Mike Pence said Monday. “The vaccine may not be available until late this year or early next, but the therapeutics to give relief to the people who contract the coronavirus could be available by summer or early fall,” he told a news conference. The Gilead drug remdesivir has already been used to treat one infected patient in the US as part of a trial, and the intravenous antiviral is also being deployed in trials...

‘Get it done’: US President Trump to drug companies on coronavirus cure US President Donald Trump sought to show his personal engagement in the fight against coronavirus, meeting with drug company executives on Monday to elicit promises of new medicines and announcing he’ll visit federal health agencies later in the week. At the White House meeting, executives from Gilead Sciences Inc., Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Sanofi, Pfizer Inc. and other manufacturers told Trump they were making rapid progress on vaccines and antivirals to combat the coronavirus, which has infected about 100 people in the country and killed six. Source: Hindustan Times

No handshake for Angela Merkel as coronavirus’ panic spreads across globe As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus see a surge across the globe, Germany’s interior minister refused to shake hands with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fearing the spread of the infection. When Merkel reached out to greet Horst Seehofer at a meeting on migration in Berlin, he smiled and kept both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel then threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat. “That is the right thing to do,” she said as she took her seat while guests at the meeting...

Pope Francis ‘tests negative for coronavirus’: Report Pope Francis, who is suffering from a cold, has tested negative for the coronavirus, an Italian newspaper reported Tuesday, as Italy battles Europe’s worst outbreak. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni did not respond to a request for comment on the report in the Messaggero newspaper. Francis cancelled a Lent retreat for the first time in his papacy this weekend, after axing all public meetings at the end of last week over the cold. The new coronavirus has spread from China across much of the world, with Italy among the worst affected with over 2,000...

Meghan Markle Was Just Passed Up for a Disney Role Due to ‘Controversial’ Royal Drama The Duchess of Sussex is trying to make the most of her “financial independence” from the royal family, but things haven’t been working out for her quite as planned. Meghan Markle was snubbed for a Disney role recently, according to one unnamed film executive who spoke to the Daily Mail on March 1. Apparently, the 38-year-old former Suits actress is too much of a “controversial figure” for the company, ever since her and 35-year-old husband Prince Harry’s royal exit. According to the Mail’s source, there are “limited plans” for Meghan...

Revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed finance secretary The government on Tuesday designated revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, a 1984-batch Maharashtra cadre IAS, as the finance secretary, the senior most bureaucrat in the finance ministry. “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved designating Dr. A.B.P. Pandey, lAS (MH:1984), Secretary, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance as Finance Secretary,” a notification issued by the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions said. ACC is chaired by the Prime Minister. As finance secretary, he will continue to head the revenue department. Source: Hindustan Times

All Bangladeshis in Bengal are citizens of India: Mamata Banerjee West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that people who have come from Bangladesh and have been voting in elections are now Indian citizens. She said that they did not require to apply for citizenship as they have been electing prime minister and chief minister. According to a PTI report, the TMC chief said that all those who have come from Bangladesh are now citizens of India. Addressing a public gathering, Banerjee said that they have got a citizenship and they didn’t need to apply for citizenship afresh.  Source: Financial Express

‘True leader’ would focus on averting crisis to be unleashed by coronavirus on India, says Rahul Gandhi Raising concerns over the detection of fresh coronavirus case in India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said a “true leader” would be completely focused on averting the massive crisis about to be unleashed by the virus on the country and its economy. Gandhi’s remarks came after India on Monday reported two new cases of the novel coronavirus, including one from the national capital. “There are moments in the life of every nation when its leaders are tested. A true leader would be...

Likud’s Netanyahu in lead to form Israel’s next government With 90 percent of votes counted, the Joint List has so far won a record 15 Knesset seats in Israel’s election, a historic success for the Palestinian-majority electoral alliance. But their strongest ever showing may be eclipsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appears likely to secure a record fifth term after his Likud party won at least 36 seats in Monday’s vote, the third in less than a year. Source: Aljazeera