April 2020

COVID-19: Shah Rukh announces series of initiatives to help citizens MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday announced a series of initiatives to help the central and state governments in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The actor has taken the help of his companies — Kolkata Knight Riders, Red Chillies Entertainment, Meer Foundation and Red Chillies VFX — to provide support to the governments. “Given the enormity of the task, my team and I discussed ways to contribute in our own modest way. We have come up with a series of initiatives, which we hope will make a...

People still remember me as Byomkesh, says Rajit Kapur Back in 1993, Basu Chatterjee’s television series Byomkesh Bakshi, based on the life of a fictional detective, received wide critical acclaim. Talking about the re-running of the show on Doordarshan during the 21-day lockdown, Rajit Kapur, who played the titular character, says, “It has been airing every three years. Maybe, more audience, especially the next generation, will watch it now. People who’ve watched it 20 years ago are showing it to their children. It’s pure, clean and wholesome entertainment. What appeals to people is that it’s simple to understand and sometimes,...

AR Rahman: God is in your heart; don’t cause chaos by congregating in religious places Stressing that congregating in religious places will cause “chaos” in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, music maestro AR Rahman has urged people to adhere to the advice of the government and self-isolate. The Oscar winner’s appeal comes after Tabligh-e-Jamaat’s Markaz in Delhi’s Nizamuddin West emerged as an epicentre for spread of COVID-19 in different parts of the country after thousands of people took part in a congregation from March 1-15. In a lengthy statement on Twitter, Rahman on Wednesday asked people to be “kind and...

Singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger dies from coronavirus Emmy and Grammy-winning musician and songwriter Adam Schlesinger, known for his work with his band Fountains of Wayne and on the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, died on Wednesday after contracting coronavirus. Schlesinger died at a hospital in upstate New York, his longtime lawyer Josh Grier told The Associated Press. It is not clear where or how Schlesinger, a 51-year-old father of two daughters, contracted coronavirus. He had been sedated and on a ventilator for several days. Adam Schlesinger was nominated for 10 Emmys for writing comical songs across several television shows, winning three. Source: The...

Sandhya Mridul shocked as China reopens wet markets where coronavirus outbreak reportedly began: ‘Khud ko kha jao yaar’ Actor Sandhya Mridul is shocked at the reports of Chinese wet markets opening up again as the country finally recovers from coronavirus outbreak. She took to Twitter to share one such news report and express her anger at it. “Are you effin serious?! Khud ko kha jao yaar (eat yourself instead),” she wrote in a tweet. She also added a ‘punch’ emoji with her tweet. Scientists believe that the Covid-19 causing coronavirus first originated in a bat in China and hopped to another animal,...

Airlines can take bookings for domestic flights after 14 April: Puri Airlines can take domestic bookings after 14 April, unless the current lockdown, which has been implemented to contain the spread of contagious covid-19 virus, is further extended, aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on a video conference, Puri added that any international flights to evacuate Indians stranded abroad will operate only after 14 April, once the current lockdown is lifted. Source: Livemint

‘Shoot them dead’: Philippines’ Duterte says won’t tolerate lockdown violators Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned violators of coronavirus lockdown measures they could be shot for causing trouble and said abuse of medical workers was a serious crime that would not be tolerated. In a televised address, Duterte said it was vital everyone cooperates and follows home quarantine measures, as authorities try to slow the contagion and spare the country’s fragile health system from being overwhelmed. Source: The Indian Express

Washington: President Donald Trump has said that Tehran should expect a bold US response if Iran or Iranian-backed groups attack American forces or assets in Iraq. US-Iran tensions soared following the January 3 Washington-directed strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani outside Baghdad airport. Trump said at an evening White House briefing that his administration has received intelligence that Iran is planning a strike, but did not provide additional details. Iran has been blamed for an uptick in rocket attacks targeting Iraqi military bases hosting US troops. Three separate attacks in the span of a week struck Camp Taji and Basmaya...

‘Tablighi Jamaat returnees should come forward for tests’: Andhra CM Jagan Stating that there is no stigma attached to people affected by COVID-19 as it is similar to any other infection that can be easily cured if timely treatment is obtained, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy urged all those who travelled to the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi, their family members and their contacts to come forward for medical tests. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Jagan said that 1,085 people had attended the Delhi event, between March 15-17. Stating that 21 persons who had visited the...

Not a good idea to opt for moratorium if customers have liquidity: Keki Mistry What are the modalities that HDFC Ltd. is rolling out for the EMI moratorium? How are you extending this to your customers and borrowers?The plan is that customers will be given a choice; either they can opt for the moratorium or they do not opt for the moratorium. When you opt for a moratorium, you must understand that it is only a moratorium on the cash flow and the interest liabilities continue to accrue; so there is no decided advantage in anyone deferring his or her...