March 2020

Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe, IOC agree to delay Tokyo Olympics by one year Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the leader of the International Olympic Committee agreed to the unprecedented move to delay the Tokyo Olympics by about one year due to worries of holding the event during the coronavirus pandemic. Abe told reporters Tuesday he won the backing for the proposal to delay the games planned to start in July in telephone call with IOC President Thomas Bach. “The Tokyo Olympics will not be canceled,” Abe told reporters in Tokyo after the call. Source: Livemint

PM Modi announces nationwide 21-day lockdown; road, air and rail services to be suspended till April 14 NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a complete lockdown of the entire country for 21 days in an unprecedented drastic measure to try halt the spread of the pandemic. Shortly after the announcement, the Centre said all road, rail and air services will remain suspended during this period. COVID-19 has claimed 11 lives in the country with authorities reporting one death each in Delhi – the second in the national capital – and Maharashtra on Tuesday and over 500 persons...

Bangladesh to release Khaleda Zia Bangladesh on Tuesday initiated a process to “conditionally” release jailed former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for six months following the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018. “The decision has been taken on humanitarian ground,” Law Minister Anisul Huq said. He said the decision was taken in line with Prime Minister Shekh Hasina’s directives and considering the age of the former Prime Minister. Source: The Hindu

Next 10-15 days crucial in dealing with coronavirus and its economic impact: Dr Sangita Reddy In his address to the nation, PM Narendra Modi has suggested steps to deal with coronavirus. How do you think corporate India can help?Prime Minister Modi has outlined the best path to be followed by us as a nation. The onus is on us as responsible citizens to contain the virus and we need to help by being well aware of the facts of this contagious infection. FICCI has come out with a guideline for organisations to deal with the safety and business issues. They...

‘This is dangerous but people in Pakistan are not listening,’ Shoaib Akhtar asks people to stop treating Covid-19 pandemic as ‘holiday or picnic’ time The fear over the novel coronavirus has gripped the whole world. Several countries like Italy, the US, Germany, Iran, Spain and the UK are struggling to control the spread of the highly contagious disease which has wreaked havoc. More than 300000 cases have come to light while around 13000 have lost their lives due to Covid-19. The governments all around the world are pleading with the people to exercise restraint and practice social distancing to isolate...

Pompeo in Kabul to break deadlock U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Afghan capital on Monday to help break a poisonous political deadlock that has further riven the country just as the Taliban is increasing attacks and a rise in COVID-19 cases threatens an already-floundering peace process. Afghanistan has been enmeshed in a political crisis since elections last year left the country in disarray due to numerous fraud claims that ultimately saw two men claiming the presidency and holding separate inaugurations. Mr. Pompeo was to hold both separate and joint meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani — the election’s...

Masa Son unveils a $41 billion asset sale to silence his critics Masayoshi Son is making his biggest play yet to silence doubters. On Monday, the Japanese billionaire unveiled an unprecedented $41 billion plan to sell off assets and shore up SoftBank Group Corp.’s crumbling market value in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. SoftBank aims to sell assets to raise as much as 4.5 trillion yen ($41 billion) over the coming year to buy back stock and slash debt — an amount equivalent to almost its entire market value last week. The scale of the endeavor surprised investors, sending...

Anita Dongre sets up Rs 1.5 cr medical fund as sudden lockdown hurts artisans, vendors MUMBAI: Fashion designer Anita Dongre has announced that she is donating Rs 1.5 crore as a medical fund to support the small vendors and self-employed artisans working with her amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a statement posted on Instagram, the designer said the sudden lockdown to avoid the spread of the disease would affect small vendors the most and her foundation will take care of the medical emergencies arising out of that. Source: The Economic Times

Singer Dhvani Bhanushali Donates Rs 50,000 for Daily Wage Earners Amid Coronavirus Crisis On Sunday, as India observed Janata Curfew, singer Dhvani Bhanushali quietly observed turning 22 with a noble gesture. On her birthday, the Vaaste singer donated Rs 50,000 to the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, for daily wage workers whose incomes have stopped due to the lockdown of the entertainment industry in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. “Being a part of this industry, I have seen what goes on behind the cameras. From the spot boys to cameramen to even the ones who make and serve...

‘If We Don’t, Thousands Could Die’: New Zealand Prepares to Enter Lockdown As Coronavirus Cases Double Wellington: New Zealand said on Monday it will move to its highest alert level imposing self-isolation, with all-non-essential services, schools and offices to be shut over the next 48 hours as the number of coronavirus cases more than double. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said these decisions will place the most significant restriction on New Zealanders’ movements in modern history, but it was needed to save lives and slow the virus. “We are all now preparing to go into self isolation as a nation,” Ardern said...