Portrait News

IIT-IIM alumnus S Gopalakrishnan appointed as additional secretary in PMO S Gopalakrishnan, a senior Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as additional secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. Gopalakrishnan’s appointment was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The 1991 batch IAS officer is currently serving at the ministry of electronics where his responsibilities include issues related to e-governance, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, startups and innovation. Gopalakrishnan is an electrical engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and a postgraduate from the Indian Institute of...

JP Morgan’s Kalpana Morparia set to retire Kalpana Morparia (pictured), chairman of JP Morgan South Asia and South East Asia, plans to hang up her boots by early next year. Leo Puri, former chief executive officer (CEO) of UTI Mutual Fund, will replace her. The global banking major said in a statement Morparia, 72, had expressed her desire to retire, but agreed to stay until Q1 2021. She would oversee the smooth transition of her India, and South and South East Asia responsibilities, it said. Murali Maiya will become the new CEO for South and South East Asia, and will report to...

Anthony Fauci says coronavirus vaccine in 2020 viable Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious-disease expert, said there’s a “good chance” a vaccine may be deployable by November or December. Cases soared in Brazil, and police opened an investigation into Rio de Janeiro’s handling of the crisis, while Mexico had its deadliest day yet. The European Union will propose a fiscal package worth more than $800 billion, and Japan is planning new economic stimulus valued in excess of $1 trillion. The euro-area is faring worse than hoped, facing a recession as bad as the European Central Bank’s more pessimistic forecasts....

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou loses bid to end US extradition fight in Canada Huawei Technologies Co. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou failed to persuade a Canadian judge to end extradition proceedings, keeping her under house arrest in Vancouver as the fight against U.S. efforts to prosecute her moves forward. The ruling marks an early victory for U.S. authorities but is likely to further strain relations between Canada and China. On Tuesday, China — Canada’s second-biggest trading partner — called for Meng’s immediate release “to avoid continuous damage of China-Canada relations.” Two Canadians, detained within days of Meng’s arrest in December...

Karnataka to name new flyover after Savarkar, opposition parties rage The decision of the B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka to name a new flyover in Yelhanka, Bangalore in honour of V D Savarkar has been opposed by the two chief opposition parties in the state– Congress and Janata Dal (Secular). The newly-built flyover will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Yediyurappa on Thursday, which is the 137th birth anniversary of Veer Savarkar. Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah questioned the state government’s move to name the flyover in honour of Savarkar saying, “This is...

Jayalalithaa’s Home in Chennai’s Poes Garden Can Be Converted into CM’s Residence and Office: Madras HC Chennai: The Madras High Court has suggested that the residence of the former chief minister and AIADMK matriarch J Jayalalithaa be converted into the official residence-cum-office of the Tamil Nadu chief minister instead of turning the entire home into a memorial, saying that the utilisation of public money for acquiring private properties for memorials “may not have an end.” A portion of Poes Garden alone could be converted into a memorial, the judges said. “The state government shall consider the suggestion of this Court to...

Putin says Russia passed peak of Coronavirus epidemic, orders World War II victory Parade President Vladimir Putin said Russia has passed the peak of the coronavirus epidemic and ordered preparations to resume for military parades marking the 75th anniversary of the World War II victory. Moscow and other cities should stage the postponed May 9 Victory Day parades on June 24, “given that the situation in the country as a whole, in most regions and in the Armed Forces is stable, and that it is stabilizing in many places after the peak of infections,” Putin told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu...

Trump threatens to ‘close down’ social media after Twitter fact check President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering a day after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets. The president can’t unilaterally regulate or close the companies, which would require action by Congress or the Federal Communications Commission. But that didn’t stop Trump from angrily issuing a strong warning. Claiming tech giants “silence conservative voices,” Trump tweeted, “We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen.” And he repeated his unsubstantiated claim —...

States Should Come Forward with Rs 20 Lakh Crore to Battle Covid-19 Disruptions: Nitin Gadkari More liquidity is needed to boost economic activity following the coronavirus pandemic and states should come forward with Rs 20 lakh crore, while another Rs 10 lakh crore can be harnessed from public-private investment to fight the COVID-19 disruptions, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Gadkari said the economy is facing serious problems, businesses are being closed and unemployment is growing. All sections of society, whether migrants, media, business persons or employees, are facing problems, but ultimately “we will win the economic war” and...

Kannada TV actress Mebeina Michael, 22, dies in a road accident Kannada television actress, Mebeina Michael, who rose to fame with the reality show Pyaate Hudugir Halli Life, died in a horrific road accident. She was 22 years old. The actress was on her way to Madikeri, her hometown. The accident took place near Devihalli in Karnataka. On the way to Madikeri, her car rammed into a tractor. The victims were taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment. While her friends are recovering from their injuries at the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday evening. A case...