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Bill Gates says coronavirus shutdowns could last up to 10 weeks Bill Gates, who last week said he’s stepping down from the board of Microsoft to devote more time to philanthropy, told Reddit users on Wednesday that the coronavirus shutdown could last as long as 10 weeks — if things go well. “If a country does a good job with testing and ‘shut down’ then within 6-10 weeks they should see very few cases and be able to open back up,” he said. Gates, whose foundation has committed up to $100 million to help with the global COVID-19 response, used...

‘They will welcome me very soon,’ says Ranjan Gogoi amid Opposition staging walkout from Rajya Sabha NEW DELHI: Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday took oath as Rajya Sabha member amid uproar in the House. “They will welcome me very soon. There are no critics,” Gogoi told reporters as he left the Parliament premises after taking oath as an MP of the Upper House. The members of opposition parties staged a walk out from the House as Gogoi took oath. Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad welcomed Gogoi in the Rajya Sabha. President Ram Nath Kovind had nominated...

Ex-SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya resigns from CRISIL board Crisil on March 19 said that Arundhati Bhattacharya, the past chairman of State Bank of India, has submitted her resignation as independent director of the company effective April 15. In her resignation, Bhattacharya has indicated that the reason for her resignation is her decision to accept a full time role as chairperson and CEO in another company, the filing said. “Bhattacharya, an Independent Director of the company, has submitted her resignation as a director of the company, which will take effect on April 15, 2020,” Crisil Ltd said in a filing to BSE. She...

Pakistani Bureaucrat Uses Shah Rukh Khan Movie to Compose a Coronavirus Awareness Song In the grim times of coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) that has claimed 8965 lives worldwide as of March 19, a Pakistani bureaucrat has come up with a novel way to educate the masses on how to contain the disease by taking notes from Bollywood tunes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), washing your hands regularly and social distancing can prevent the spread of the deadly virus that has sent the world in self-isolation lockdown. Since then videos from doctors and celebrities alike from across the world have flooded the Internet with...

‘Lord, Stop it’: The Pope Has Asked God to End the Coronavirus Epidemic While Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church has mostly been restricted to the walled confines of the Vatican since the national lockdown in Italy was imposed on March 9, he decided to step out, to pray. He left the Vatican on the Sabbath and went to Rome, where he prayed at Basilica of Saint Mary Major and the church of San Marcello al Corso Sunday, reported Newsweek. When asked by La Repubblica journalist Paolo Rodari what he prayed for at the two churches, the pontiff replied: “I asked the...

Yes Bank: Anil Ambani appears before ED in Mumbai Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai in connection with a money-laundering probe against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others, officials said. The agency is expected to record the statement of Ambani under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The 60-year-old businessman arrived at the ED office in Ballard Estate around 9:30 am. Ambani’s nine group companies are stated to have taken loans of about Rs 12,800 crore from the crisis-ridden bank, that reportedly were under “stress”. Source: moneycontrol

IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta announces salary cuts of up to 25% IndiGo’s CEO Ronojoy Dutta on Thursday informed employees about a company-wide top down 5%-25% salary cut in a cost-cutting exercise in reaction to the coronavirus crisis which has dismantled airline operations in India and across the world. In an email, Dutta said he was taking a 25% cut, while other executives above the senior vice president level would take 20% reductions. Vice presidents and pilots would have to bear a 15% cut, and others, including cabin crew, would be in for 5%-10% deductions. “We know how hard it is...

Sonam Kapoor compares UK and India’s response to coronavirus as she flies back home, says ‘our govt is doing its best’ Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and husband Anand flew back to India on Wednesday from London. The actor took to social media to share her experience and also to appreciated the authorities for the precautions being taken. Taking to Instagram stories, Sonam mentioned that the couple flew from London to New Delhi. Prior to her flight, she mentioned that she was “heading back to India with her husband” and that she couldn’t wait “to get home”. On reaching Delhi, she again took...

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-owned Titan Company share hits fresh 52-week low, closes in three digits Titan Company share price fell below Rs 1,000 today for the first time since February 2019 as Indian market reels under the effect of global stocks rout led by rising cases of coronavirus. The large cap stock which is also part of ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s portfolio lost 8.06% to Rs 921 (a fresh 52-week low) in early trade compared to the previous close of Rs 1,001.70 on BSE. Share price of Titan Company has fallen 12.54% in last three days. Share price of Titan Company has lost...

Digvijaya Singh Biggest Dramatist in Country, Says Shivraj Singh Chouhan enior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday dubbed Digvijaya Singh of Congress as the “biggest dramatist”, hours after the latter tried to meet rebel MLAs of his party in Bengaluru but prevented by the police. Chouhan said even the rebel MLAs are wary of Singh and didn’t want to meet him. “Digvijaya Singh is the biggest dramatist in the country. He is remembering the (rebel) MLAs now. They do not evenwant to meet him,” the former chief minister told reporters in Raisen district where MLAs of the BJP are...