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Vladimir Putin Calls for Sanctions ‘Moratorium’ at G20 Summit For Coronavirus Pandemic Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for sanctions relief during the coronavirus pandemic, telling G20 leaders it was a matter “of life and death”. The leader did not specify which countries should be earmarked for sanctions relief, speaking instead more broadly. “Ideally we should introduce a… joint moratorium on restrictions on essential goods as well as on financial transactions for their purchase,” Putin said at a virtual meeting of G20 leaders on Thursday. Source: News18

Coronavirus | Contingency plans in place, says Gen Naravane The Army has responsive and agile Quick Reaction Medical Teams (QRMTs) on standby to mobilise at six hours notice to meet the requirements of hospitals and the civil administration if needed, Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Manoj Naravane said on Friday. Outlining the plans to meet any escalation in Coronavirus infections across the country, he said contingency plans were in place and spread of COVID-19 would not affect the core efficiency of the Army. Source: The Hindu

Bengaluru oncologist claims to be close to an effective treatment for Covid-19: Report A Bengaluru based doctor claims to have developed an effective treatment for coronavirus which could be ready for trials by this weekend, a news agency reported. The treatment involves retriggering of the immune system which gets compromised after a person is infected by Sars-Cov-2 virus, said the doctor. He clarified that the medicine which was under preparation was “not a vaccine”. “We have built a concoction of cytokines which can be injected to reactivate immune system in Covid-19 patients.  Source: Hindustan Times

Prabhas gives Rs 4 crores for fight against COVID-19 Hyderabad: “Baahubali” actor Prabhas became the latest Telugu star to donate for the cause of combating against the coronavirus pandemic. The actor on Thursday donated Rs 4 crore for the cause. Of this, Rs 3 crore is being given to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, while Rs 50 lakh each go to the Chief Minister Relief Funds of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Prabhas recently returned from Georgia, where he was shooting for his upcoming film, tentatively titled “Prabhas 20”, with Pooja Hegde. Both actors went into self-quarantine for 14 days upon...

Sachin Tendulkar donates Rs 50 lakh to fight Covid-19 pandemic Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Friday donated Rs 50 lakh to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed 17 Indian lives and wreaked havoc globally. Tendulkar’s donation is so far the biggest contribution among India’s leading sportspersons, some of whom have pledged their salaries while a few others have donated medical equipment to fight the dreaded outbreak, which has caused more than 24,000 deaths globally. “Sachin Tendulkar decided to contribute Rs 25 lakh each to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in his bid to...

Actor and celebrity dermatologist Dr Sethu Raman, 36, passes away Actor Dr Sethu Raman of Kanna Laddu Thinna Aasaiya fame is no more. He reportedly passed away late Thursday night after a cardiac arrest. He was 36, and was active even a few days ago, giving interviews about the coronavirus. Sethu, a close friend of comedian Santhanam, was a leading dermatologist and ran the ZI clinic in Alwarpet. Many celebrities from the film industry consult with him for doubts and treatment for skin-related issues. Sethu hails from a family of doctors: both his father (Dr Viswanathan) and sister are in the medical...

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self isolating but will still lead the government’s response to the outbreak. “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” Johnson said. “I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.” However, British finance minister Rishi Sunak is not self-isolating after Prime Minister Boris Johnson tested positive for coronavirus, a source at the finance ministry said. Source: Livemint

Mithali Raj urges BCCI to start women’s IPL from 2021 India women’s ODI captain Mithali Raj on Thursday urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to come up with a plan to organise a Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) in the country from 2021. Mithali Raj said that BCCI should not “wait forever” to organise the women’s IPL, although she believes initially the tournament can be on a “smaller scale”. “I personally feel they should start a women’s IPL by next year, even if it’s on a slightly smaller scale and with some changes in rules, such...

Yuvraj Singh tips Siddhant Chaturvedi to play him in movie New Delhi: Yuvraj Singh feels that actor Siddhant Chaturvedi would be the best bet to portray him if a biopic is ever made on him. The former cricketer however first said that he might give a thought to portraying the character himself. “Probably, I’d play myself — that would be a bit desperate…(chuckles) hai na?” said Yuvraj according to Times of India. “See, that’s the director’s job to decide. If it’s going to be a Bollywood film, then Siddhant Chaturvedi is a good option; I’d love to see him in...

Lockdown may not be enough to contain coronavirus spread in India: Rajan The lockdown in India, the largest such exercise in the world, may not be enough to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has said. “This is a serious concern because not only does the lockdown keep people from going to work, it keeps them at home which is not necessarily that pristine isolated place, but can also be a slum where people live together,” Rajan said in an interview with Bloomberg. “It may be hard to...