28/02/2020

People were seen lining up outside liquor stores in huge numbers here on Monday after the Assam government permitted retail stores to remain open for seven hours and sell liquor. While standing in queue, the people were seen adhering to the norms of social distancing -- as advised by the health ministry and experts. They were also seen carrying bags in an attempt to stock up the liquor in their houses.

Assam: People line up outside a liquor shop in Dibrugarh as government permits sale of liquor between 10 AM & 5 PM during #CoronavirusLockdown. pic.twitter.com/d8HhAYJa5G

— ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2020

The shopkeepers also maintained social distancing in the stores as the staff strength was down to a bare minimum. On Sunday, the Assam government permitted retail liquor outlets in the state to open for seven hours daily from April 13.

An official notification stated that all liquor shops shall remain open from 10 am to 5 pm on the permitted days and follow social distancing. Along with the liquor shops, wholesale warehouses, bottling plants, distilleries and breweries have also been allowed to operate from Monday.

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Alappuzha District Collector M Anjana said that houseboats in the districts may be turned into COVID-19 isolation wards if the need arises.

Kerala: Alappuzha District Administration has decided to convert houseboats into isolation facilities amid #COVID19 outbreak. "This would increase our bed strength by 1500 to 2000",says M Anjana, Alappuzha District Collector. pic.twitter.com/YpPViQZ6aF

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

"The Alappuzha model of handling COVID-19 has been one of preparedness and prevention. In the first phase we did this successfully, but in the second phase we propose to have a different strategy. Though our numbers are comparatively less, we need to augment our isolation facilities," M Anjana told ANI here.

"We have sufficient number of facilities but in the process of augmenting the facilities we have had extensive discussions with the houseboat owners' association. All the houseboat owners agree with the proposal and are willing to support the district administration in this respect," she added. She said that houseboats have different bed strengths.

"By bringing them together at a single spot or at two spots we would be able to convert them as a single isolation facility. This would increase the isolation facility strength by around 1,500 to 2,000," she further said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 387 COVID-19 cases in Kerala, including 211 cured/discharged/migrated and three deaths.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its lockdown guidelines issued on Wednesday has given detailed standard operating procedures (SOP) for social distancing for offices, workplaces, factories and establishments. The ministry has said that all areas in the premises including the following shall be disinfected completely using user-friendly disinfectant mediums at the entrance gate of building, office, cafeteria and canteens, meeting room, conference halls, open areas available, verandah, entrance gate of site, bunkers, porta cabins, building, equipment and lifts, washroom, toilet, sink water points etc, walls/ all other surfaces.

The MHA has also said that transportation will be provided by employers and should be allowed only with 30-40 per cent passengers in vehicles. "For workers coming from outside, special transportation facility will be arranged without any dependency on the public transport system. These vehicles should be allowed to work only with 30-40 percent passenger capacity," MHA said.

All vehicles and machinery entering the premise should be disinfected by spray mandatorily and thermal scanning of everyone entering and exiting the work place to be done. "Medical insurance for the workers to be made mandatory. Provision for hand wash & sanitizer preferably with touch free mechanism will be made at all entry and exit points and common areas. Sufficient quantities of all the items should be available," read the MHA guideline.

The union home ministry guidelines also said that work places shall have a gap of one hour between shifts and will stagger the lunch breaks of staff to ensure social distancing. "Large gatherings or meetings of 10 or more people to be discouraged. Seating at least 6 feet away from others on job sites and in gatherings, meetings and training sessions. Not more than 2/4 persons (depending on size) will be allowed to travel in lifts or hoists," the guidelines said.

"Hospitals/clinics in the nearby areas, which are authorized to treat COVID-19 patients, should be identified and list should be available at workplace all the times," MHA said. The MHA guidelines came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 amid surging coronavirus cases in the country.

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Industrial units in rural areas will be allowed to function from April 20 provided they follow social distancing norms while all kinds of public transport will be barred and public places closed till May 3, according to guidelines issued on Wednesday to enforce the second phase of the lockdown.

Wearing masks/face covers in public places is now compulsory across the country. Besides, spitting in public has been made a punishable offence and a strict ban enforced on the sale of "liquor, 'gutka' tobacco etc" under the new Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines that come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the nationwide lockdown till May 3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday, extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3. Pic/Twitter Narendra Modi

The prime minister also said necessary activities will be allowed from April 20 in identified areas of the country. A three-week lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 came into effect after his announcement on March 24.

Laying out the dos and don’ts for phase two of the pan India lockdown, the guidelines state that all work places should make adequate arrangements for temperature screening and must provide sanitisers at convenient places.

Services provided by self-employed electricians, IT repair personnel, plumbers, motor mechanics and carpenters will be allowed from April 20. While inter-state, inter-district movement of people, metro, bus services will be prohibited till May 3, the government has allowed industrial units located in rural areas to function from April 20 by observing strict social distancing norms.

Mumbai police officials snapped during a candid moment at the Gateway of India amid lockdown

Manufacturing, industrial units with access control in SEZs, export oriented units, industrial estates, industrial townships will also be allowed to function from that date. Educational institutions, coaching centres, domestic, international air travel, train services will remain suspended, the ministry said.

Public places such as cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools and bars will be shut too till May 3. All social, political, sports, religious functions, religious places, places of worship will also be closed till then, according to the guidelines.

However, highway ''dhaba'' (eateries), truck repairing shops, call centres for government activities will remain open from April 20. Shops selling agriculture machinery and those dealing with spare parts, supply chains and repairs as well as ''custom hiring centres’ related to farm machinery will also be open from that day.

Activities permitted five days from now include those related to agricultural and the horticultural sectors, farmers and farm workers in the field as well as procurement of agri products. Units manufacturing drugs, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical infrastructure, including manufacture of ambulances, will be open from April 20.

A woman carries ration on her shoulders as a police officer looks on amid lockdown in the city

The guidelines state that grocery stores, fruits, vegetables shops/ carts, milk booths, poultry, meat and fish shop will remain open during the lockdown. However, exemptions given from April 20 will not be applicable in COVID-19 hotspots/containment zones. The document specifies that state/UT governments shall not dilute guidelines in any manner but may impose stricter measures in accordance with local requirements.

The Home Ministry said permitted industries must make arrangements for the stay of workers within their premises or in adjacent buildings by observing social distancing norms. It said Defence, paramilitary, Health and Family Welfare, disaster management, NIC, FCI, NCC, Nehru Yuva Kendra and Customs offices will function without any restrictions.

Other ministries and departments will function with "100 per cent attendance" with deputy secretary and above rank officers. "Remaining officers and staff to attend up to 33 per cent as per requirement," it said. According to the guidelines, in order to mitigate the public’s hardship, select additional activities will be allowed from April 20.

"However, these additional activities will be operationalised by states and UTs and district administrators based on strict compliance to existing guidelines on lockdown measures," it said.

Activities permitted from April 20 are aimed at ensuring that agricultural and related activities remain fully functional, rural economy functions with maximum efficiency, employment opportunities are created for daily wage earners and other members of labour force, select industrial activities are allowed to resume their operations, with safeguards and mandatory standard operating protocols and digital economy, states the document.

Police authorities seal off Worli-Koliwada after coronavirus positive cases were confirmed from Worli

The revised guidelines will not apply in containment zones, as demarcated by states/ UTs/ district administrations. If any new area is included in the category of a containment zone, the activities allowed in that area till the time of its categorization as a containment zone will be suspended except those specifically permitted under the Health Ministry’s guidelines.

Containment zones will be demarcated by states/UTs/ district administrations in accordance with the ministry’ guidelines. In these zones, no unchecked inward/outward movement of population would be allowed, except for essential services.

The government described digital economy as critical to the services sector. Accordingly, e-commerce operations, operations of IT and IT enabled services, data and call centres for government activities, and online teaching and distance learning are all permitted.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said a lockdown is not a solution to the virus and suggested the Centre should aggressively go for testing and use it strategically.

"We are in a very serious situation, that is clear and I think all political parties have to work together and the people of India have to work together if we want to solve this problem and defeat this virus... Over the last couple of months, I have been speaking to large number of experts in India and abroad, who have a very good understanding of what is going on. So, a lot of what I am going to be saying is going to be based on these conversations," Rahul said while addressing media via video conference.

Lockdown is in no way a solution to the #COVID19. Lockdown is like a pause button. When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/PLQlHtZCCL

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

"The first thing to understand is that a lockdown is like a pause button. A lockdown is in no way a solution to COVID-19...When we come out of the lockdown, the virus is going to start its work again. So, it is very important that we have a strategy to come out of the lockdown," he added.

Rahul stated that lockdown "allows you the time and space to put in medical resources, to ramp up your testing ability, to prepare your hospitals, to get ventilators, to create the type of architecture that is required to fight the virus when it picks up again." "So, there is one misconception that I would like to clear up. In no way does a lockdown defeat the virus. It stops the virus for some time. Now what is the real weapon against the virus, the biggest weapon? The Biggest weapon is testing. Testing at scale so you know where the virus is moving and you isolate the virus and target the virus," he said.

Now we've reached a level, where we are in an emergency situation. India must unite&fight against it. My main suggestion is that blunt instruments must not be used. We must work strategically. Lockdown has not resolved the problem, it has only postponed the problem: Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/1Pt8uD2OQ0

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

The former Congress president also stated that India's testing rate is 199 out of a million. "If you look at all the tests that we have done over the last 72 days, it works out to approximately an average of 350 tests per district. This is in no way enough to tell you how the virus moving," Rahul said

"If you want to fight the virus, you have to increase testing dramatically and your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of the virus... Lot of our testing is currently chasing the virus because we are identifying cases and then following the virus. With that type of testing, you will never be able to actually get a good image of what the virus is doing and where the virus is," he added.

If you want to fight the virus, you've to increase the testing dramatically & your testing has to go from chasing the virus to moving ahead of it. You've to move to random testing and pre-empt where the virus is moving: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi #Coronavirus https://t.co/YWG4PJEoSK pic.twitter.com/9t2hOA1wgm

— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2020

Rahul has advised the central government to push testing aggressively, maximise testing and use testing strategically. The testing levels are currently too low and the Government of India is not using testing strategically, he noted. Prime Minister Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID19. Earlier this week, he announced the extension of lockdown till May 3.

With 941 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally crossed the 12,000 mark with the tally reading at 12,380 cases, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday. Out of the total tally, 10,477 patients are active cases while 1,489 patients have been cured, discharged and migrated. With 37 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 414.

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Thiruvananthapuram: A 50-year-old woman travelled 2,700 km in a car crisscrossing 6 states to meet her critically ill son, a BSF jawan in Jodhpur, despite strict lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19.

The woman was accompanied by her daughter-in-law and another relative during the journey, which they covered in three days' time. Speaking to PTI from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Sheelamma Vasan said the health condition of her son, Arun Kumar (29), who was suffering from myositis, (inflammation of muscles), was improving.

"Due to God's grace we have reached here without any problems anywhere", she said. The family was informed by a Malayali doctor at AIIMS in Jodhpur about Arun Kumar's condition following which they decided to undertake the journey from Kerala through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat to reach Rajasthan.

Thanks to the intervention of Union Minister V Muraleedharan, the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leader Oommen Chandy, the family could get necessary passes for the travel across the states.

Volunteers of Hindu helpline, a VHP organisation, helped in arranging a cab and two taxi drivers free of cost to take them to Jodhpur. After getting necessary passes arranged by Kottayam District Collector P K Sudheer Babu, Sheelaamma accompanied by her daughter-in-law Parvathyand another relative set off on the journey from Panackachira village in Koruthodu panchayat in Kottayam on April 11and reached Jodhpur on 14th, "Vishu" (Malayalam new year).

The jawan, who had come to his village in February end on leave and days after his return had fallen ill, had expressed desire to meet his mother and wife.
Arun Kumar's one-year-old child is in Kerala.

The mother's journey comes close on the heels of another woman who rode 1400 km on her two-wheeler from Telangana to bring back her son stuck in Andhra Pradesh. The Burqa-clad mom, Razia Sultana, a school teacher from Bodhan town in Telangana undertook the journey on her scooter and brought her son, a student from Rehmatabadin Andhra Pradesh.

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Some financial activities will start in Maharashtra from Monday onwards, said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday. "Tomorrow onwards we are starting some financial activities. If we don't run our economy now, we will be in a financial crisis after we come out of the corona crisis. We are starting some business activities in a limited way. Fortunately, several of our districts have zero positive cases," said the Chief Minister during a press conference.

We're in talks with the centre. I'm confident that a solution will come out in the coming days. Don't worry. We're gradually starting work in Maharashtra. If it's possible you can come back to work,you'll continue with your livelihood: Maharashtra CM to migrant labourers in state pic.twitter.com/IMElkKXnQm

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

Appealing to migrant labourers in the state, the Chief Minister said: "We are in talks with the Centre. I am confident that a solution will come out in the coming days. Don't worry. We are gradually starting work in Maharashtra. If it is possible you can come back to work, you will continue with your livelihood."

"I give you my word that Maharashtra government will take you to your homes the day this crisis ends. I believe that when you go back to your homes, you should go back happily and not out of fear," the Chief Minister assured the migrant labourers.

He informed that over 66,000 tests have been conducted in the state so far. "95 per cent of these are negative. Around 3600 are positive, 300-350 of these have recovered and have been discharged. 75 per cent are either mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic. 52 patients are serious. We are looking at saving their lives," said Thackeray.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the country is 15,712, including 12,974 active cases. So far, 2,230 patients have either been cured or discharged while 507 deaths have been recorded in the country, as per data provided by the Union Ministry of Health.

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With 1,334 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 15,712 including 507 deaths, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Sunday. As many as 2,231 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This equals 14.1 per cent of the total cases," he added.

1334 new #COVID19 cases & 27 deaths have been reported in last 24 hours, taking total cases to 15712 & deaths to 507 in India. No new case reported in Mahe in Puducherry & Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days. Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/YsaMPJOnx5

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2020

A total of 15,712 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 507 deaths and 2,231 people, who were COVID-19 positive, have recovered. Out of the total deaths, 27 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal. The Joint Secretary said that no new case was reported in Mahe in Puducherry and Karnataka's Kodagu in the last 28 days.

"A total of 54 other districts beside these two in 23 States/Union Territories did not report any cases in the last 14 days," he said. He informed that there are 755 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and 1,389 dedicated health care centres in the country, which takes the total dedicated facilities where severe or critical patients can be treated to 2,144.

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With 1,553 fresh cases of coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India has reached 17,265, said Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, here on Monday.

Since yesterday there have been 1553 additional confirmed #COVID19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 17265. 36 more deaths also reported in the last 24 hours: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/6EKGeIOWOe

— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020

As many as 2,546 people have recovered from the disease so far, said Aggarwal during the daily media briefing on the coronavirus. "This takes the cure percentage to 14.75 per cent," he added. "A total of 17,265 confirmed cases have been reported in India including 2,546 people have recovered. A total of 36 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours," said Aggarwal.

Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in the last 28 days. "The number of districts where no case has been reported in the last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now COVID-19 free," he added.

Aggarwal said that the Health Ministry has expressed its views that India wants to work with G20 nations to develop the vaccine to combat COVID-19. He further said that ministry has also issued guidelines regarding precautionary measures to be adhered to in government offices.

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The family members of at least 25 houses in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises have been asked to isolate themselves after a staffer's relative tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has claimed over 550 lives in India so far. Official sources confirmed the news to IANS on late Monday night.

"A relative of a resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate Quarters died a few days ago. The person who has tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday had attended the funeral," a source in the know of things said.

The individual has been sent to the quarantine centre in the nearby Birla Mandir complex.

The people in the house where the corona-positive person was found, along with the families living in around 25 houses have also been asked to isolate themselves as a precautionary measure. All of them have been instructed to follow social distancing norms strictly, sources said.

According to sources, the staffer's relative who has been found corona positive has no direct connection with Rashtrapati Bhavan. The individual's relative is serving there.

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This year has brought so many firsts and new experiences and this year’s Earth Day, April 22, will certainly be among them. While people can’t get outside and participate in the same outdoor and collective experiences in person, they are celebrating the Earth on Twitter this year.

 The conversation on Twitter has spiked 285% around the discussion of 'action' and 'innovation' in sustainability and there have been more than 1 million Tweets tying this period of COVID-19  to impacts on the environment and 20 million unique Tweets about the environment since last Earth Day.

Ahead of Earth Day, Twitter has launched a new #EarthDay2020 emoji to encourage environmental conversations. To commemorate the 50th Earth Day, Twitter India (@TwitterIndia), Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) and Earth Day Network (@EarthDay_India) are partnering for #FightForFifty: a campaign that highlights 50 years of Earth Day and gives a common platform to 50 crowdsourced steps that we can take in our daily life to combat climate change and live sustainably.

Noted environmental activists and celebrities are joining the environmental conversation.

 Actress Dia Mirza (@deespeak) and singer-actor Monica Dogra (@MonicaSDogra) too participated in a Live Twitter Panel on April 21, 2020, to talk about 50 years of #EarthDay2020 and climate action. You can also watch the chat from last night to take a few points that Dia Mirza (@deepspeak) has advised for sustainable living #EarthDay.

This #EarthDay , join us for #FiftyForFifty Live with @deespeak, @MonicaSDogra, @EarthDay_India and @Tamseel_h to discuss what each one of us can do to save the planet. https://t.co/vkSUXPQ90o

— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) April 21, 2020

A small step for sustainability 🌱
Our planet is a lot more beautiful when it's green.
Let's keep it that way...#EarthDay2020#StayAtHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/BxKdEMsFqP

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) April 22, 2020

When you realize “Heart” and Earth are spelt with the same letters, it all starts to make sense! Happy 50th #EarthDay!

#EarthDay2020 #WorldEarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome pic.twitter.com/bUs68xpOON

— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) April 22, 2020

Nature is healing: Of late, as the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping people indoors, reduced industrial and human activities have led to the rejuvenation of nature. Twitter has been witnessing volumes of discussions around how the lockdown has given the environment a chance to revive its lost glory.

This #EarthDay, we are sharing with you a few pictures of guests from the wild coming out on the streets of India during the COVID19 lockdown. This includes a special visit by two peahens to the house of the U.S. Ambassador to India as well! #EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/F9hD46YX0k

— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) April 22, 2020

Earth is healing by itself.
#EarthDay #EarthDay2020 #EarthDayAtHome
Shot with @Sony @SonyAlpha @sony_india 77 Mark 2.
Post Processing: @SkylumSoftware pic.twitter.com/kUmePoP5x8

— Madhusudhan Reddy (@imMadhu1) April 22, 2020

Tweet, Tweet! It’s a bird: While people continue to spend time at home, they are taking up #BalconyBirding and reading books on nature.

I could speak to you about the importance of a single tree, but I will show you instead.

Flowering Neem tree, Delhi. pic.twitter.com/F2CMXGvLPN

— Neha Sinha (@nehaa_sinha) April 20, 2020

Last evening’s #balconybirding helped me make these photos, with a stunning sunset in the backdrop!

Parakeets, a kite and a crow, and an egret?

Nature is beautiful, even in cities! 🌇ðŸ¦Âœ#BirdWatching @sonyalpha pic.twitter.com/uh2lYLCvCS

— Isha (@ishaachitnis) April 20, 2020

Feed the #birds and they'll feed your soul with a look of gratitude.🥰🥰

Let's not forget to keep water & food for them in our balcony/terrace.

Celebrate #EarthDayAtHome by watching beautiful birds & squirrels enjoying their meal.

I enjoy this everyday.😇#EarthDay2020 pic.twitter.com/4XyfAPizr0

— Manu Gulati (@ManuGulati11) April 22, 2020

Reading Nature (@ReadingNature), a book club on Twitter, asked its followers to talk about their favourite #naturebooks on #EarthDay, and people are sharing some interesting reads through videos.

For #EarthDay, we asked you to tell us about the #nature books📚you have loved over the years & WOW! We are thrilled to share your stories thru the day!
We begin with Editor Scissorhands @bijal_v (who gave us the idea for this #thread) reading us some delightful kid-lit (1/n) pic.twitter.com/bwMtvu0r7p

— ReadingNature (@ReadingNature) April 22, 2020

To bring out more focused conversations on sustainability, Let Me Breathe (@LetMeBreathe_In) has also launched three #FiftyForFifty Twitter Lists on topics like Balcony Birders, Climate Activists and Sustainable Fashion. A Twitter List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List, usually around a particular topic of your choice.

Organisations such as the UNESCO MGIEP (@UNESCO_MGIEP), WWF India (@WWFINDIA) and Earth Day Network India (@EarthDay_IN) are organising virtual concerts with performances from the finest musicians as a tribute to the Earth.

SOUND ON 🔊

What better way to kick off this #EarthDay2020 than listening to @EarthDay_India's Ambassador, Dr. L Subramanium's "Earth song".#EarthDay #EarthSong pic.twitter.com/XTOKG7Iae7

— Earth Day Network (@EarthDayNetwork) April 22, 2020

Celebrate this 50th #EarthDay & #ShineYourLight with
🎼5 Grammy Award Winners
🎵40+ artists
🎧With @rickykej @baabamaal @ElsieLaura @wouterkellerman @VishwaMBhatt1 @LonniePark
🗓ï¸Â Wed. 22 April
⏰8:00 pm IST

RSVP your attendance now:https://t.co/k65HTgKft4 pic.twitter.com/gqEuQAehLT

— WWF India (@WWFINDIA) April 19, 2020

Let’s come together this #EarthDay to pledge our solidarity to the planet and collectively work for sustainability.

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A total of 64 police personnel in Maharashtra have been found coronavirus positive till now, the state police said here on Wednesday. According to Maharashtra Police, "12 police officers and 52 policemen have been found coronavirus positive in the state till now."

As per the data, 62,987 cases have been registered under Section 188 of IPC for violating lockdown from March 22 till April 22. The number of persons found by police violating quarantine measures is 595. "477 accused have been arrested in cases of assault on policemen. The total number of incidents on assault on police are 134.

13,869 people have been arrested since March 22 till 4 am today for violation during coronavirus lockdown, the police said. A total of 44,135 vehicles have been seized.

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After agitated Congress workers filed multiple complaints against Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami, an FIR has been registered against him in a police station in Chhattisgarh's Raipur. The FIR in the Civil Lines police was filed on the complaint of state Congress chief Mohan Markam under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, relating to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

In the complaint, Markam said that in his TV programme, the editor has instigated a crime and tried to disrupt communal harmony.

The Congress has also talked to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mahararashtra minister Balasahab Thorat said. "I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi. I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him," he said, in a tweet.

I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi
I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him

— Balasaheb Thorat (@bb_thorat) April 22, 2020

The Congress has also initiated an online campaign against Goswami on various social media platforms.

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After agitated Congress workers filed multiple complaints against Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami, an FIR has been registered against him in a police station in Chhattisgarh's Raipur. The FIR in the Civil Lines police was filed on the complaint of state Congress chief Mohan Markam under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, relating to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.

In the complaint, Markam said that in his TV programme, the editor has instigated a crime and tried to disrupt communal harmony.

The Congress has also talked to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mahararashtra minister Balasahab Thorat said. "I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi. I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him," he said, in a tweet.

I condemn the attempts made by Arnab Goswami to communalise the unfortunate incident at Palghar & also the derogatory language used by him against @INCIndia President Sonia ji Gandhi
I have spoken to CM @OfficeofUT & HM @AnilDeshmukhNCP Strict action will be initiated against him

— Balasaheb Thorat (@bb_thorat) April 22, 2020

The Congress has also initiated an online campaign against Goswami on various social media platforms.

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Asserting that 12 crore people have lost their jobs in the first phase of the lockdown, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said that it is imperative for the government to provide them with immediate financial assistance to each family to tide over this crisis and reiterated that the unemployment is likely to increase further as economic activity remains at a standstill. "Entitlement of food grains under the National Food Security Act has not yet reached the beneficiaries. 11 crore people who are in need of subsidized food grains, remain outside of the Public Distribution System. It should be our commitment to provide 10 kgs of food grains, 1 kg of pulses and half a Kg of sugar to each person of the family every month, in this hour of crisis," Gandhi at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting today.

"12 crore jobs have been lost in the first phase of the lockdown. Unemployment is likely to increase further as economic activity remains at a standstill. It is imperative to provide at least Rs.7,500 to each family to tide over this crisis. Migrant labourers are still stranded, jobless and desperate to return home. They have been hit the hardest. They must be provided with food security and a financial safety net in order to survive this period of crisis," she said. The Congress chief said that a special package should be announced urgently for the survival of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

"MSMEs employ close to 11 crore personnel today. They make up for one third of the GDP. If they are to be protected from economic ruin, it is imperative that a special package be announced urgently for their survival," she said. The Congress chief claimed that the Central Government does not appear to have a "clear" idea on how the situation will be managed after May 3, when the ongoing lockdown will end. "A lockdown of the present nature after that date would be even more devastating," she said.Gandhi said that the Congress has repeatedly urged the Prime Minister that there is "no alternative to testing, trace and quarantine programme."

"Unfortunately, testing still remains low and testing kits are still in short supply and of poor quality. PPE kits are being provided to our doctors and healthcare workers but the number and quality is poor," she said. The Congress chief said that farmers are facing serious difficulties. "The issues of weak and unclear procurement policies and disrupted supply chains need to be addressed without delay. Necessary facilities must be made available to the farmers for the next round of Kharif crops which will begin in the coming 2 months," she said.

In a veiled attack against the Centre, Gandhi said: "The states and local governments are the frontline of the battle against COVID-19. Funds legitimately owed to our states have been held back." She accused the BJP of spreading the "virus of communal prejudice and hatred" amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Let me also share with you something that should worry each and every one us Indians. When we should be tackling the coronavirus unitedly, the BJP continues to spread the virus of communal prejudice and hatred. Grave damage is being done to our social harmony. Our party, we will have to work hard to repair that damage," she said. The Congress chief applauded doctors, nurses, paramedics, health workers, sanitation workers and all other essential service providers, NGO and the lakhs of citizens providing relief to the most needy all over India.

Gandhi said that she had written "several times" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after lockdown came into force.

"I offered our constructive cooperation and also made a number of suggestions to alleviate the suffering of both rural and urban families. These suggestions had been formulated on the basis of feedback we have been receiving from different sources, including our Chief Ministers. Unfortunately, they have been acted upon only partially and in a miserly way. The compassion, large-heartedness and alacrity that should be forthcoming from the Central Government is conspicuous by its absence," she said.

The Congress leader asserted that the focus must continue to be on successfully engaging with health, food security and livelihood issues. "The lockdown continues and all sections of our society continue to face acute hardship and distress--particularly our kisans and khet mazdoors, migrant labour, construction workers and workers in the unorganized sector. Trade, commerce and industry have come to a virtual halt and crores of livelihoods have been destroyed," she said.

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Nearly 20 per cent COVID-19 patients have recovered so far in the country, said Lav Agarwa, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday, while the total cases of coronavirus have soared to 21,393.

In last 24 hours 1409 positive cases have been reported, which takes our total confirmed cases to 21,393: Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/TVCj5RxGgw

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2020

Addressing a press conference here, Agarwal said: "With 1,409 new cases, there are 21,393 positive cases in India now. So far, 4,257 people have recovered including 388 people who recovered yesterday. This takes our recovery percentage to 19.89 per cent."

Agarwal said that as on today, India has 12 districts that did not report a fresh case in the last 28 days or more. "There are now 78 districts in 23 States/UTs, which have not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 days," he added.

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A unique initiative by Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur Police to teach lockdown offenders a lesson and create awareness about the spread of the novel coronavirus has taken the internet by storm. A viral video shared by a meme page on Facebook shows police officers in Tamil Nadu teaching people violating the lockdown guidelines a lesson for life.

In the three minute 50 seconds video clip, police officers of Tiruppur Police can be seen stopping people roaming freely without face mask amid lockdown across the country. In order to teach a lesson to those defying lockdown rules, the Tamil Nadu police came up with their own unique initiative which has been appreciated by netizens.

As the video moves forward, the police officers are seen pushing the lockdown violators into an ambulance which has a man posing as a COVID-19 patient. Once pushed inside, the violators can be seen begging the officers to let them comes out of the ambulance van.

The hilarious yet creative video ends with a police officer making an appeal to people to not roam without face masks. The officer says, "When you roam around, anyone can have the novel coronavirus and you may not know. The government and the police officials have been stressing on the importance of staying indoors. If at all you need to come out to buy essentials, please wear masks."

The funny video which aims to create awareness to combat the spread of COVID-19 has garnered over 2.3 million views and about 73 thousand shares. Hundreds of people took to the comments section of the viral video to laud the Tamil Nadu police and shower praise on their unique initiative.

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The Indian Newspaper Society, which petitioned PM Modi to grant a two-year tax holiday on media businesses, bump up DAVP advertisement rates and increase government's advertising outlay, has also urged the government to settle outstanding bills that central ministries owe to the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), which in turn pays media organisations for running advertising campaigns for ministries.

Dues totalling more than Rs 350 crore have not been paid to DAVP by various central ministries despite repeated requests by the INS and the Association of Radio Operators of India, which have demanded release of outstanding money for the bleeding print and broadcast sectors.

Industry sources said some pending payments are related to ad campaigns nearly 4-5 years ago. The health ministry, sources said, owes over Rs 61crore to DAVP. The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) echoed INS's demand for a bailout package, requesting the government to allow advertisers to treat advertising money as investments and allow it to spread expenditure incurred in advertising over three years.

AAAI's demands for government intervention comes on the heels of persistent requests by media organisations to the Centre to clear outstanding DAVP dues and announce a bailout package for the industry. AAAI has sought the government's intervention to permit a loaded deduction of 200% on advertising expenditure, a move that is likely to encourage advertisers, both publicly listed and private, to advertise sooner and essay a faster economic recovery. In a letter to the Union government, the AAAI also demanded that the government clear its outstanding bills by way of income tax and GST refunds. To help the industry, AAAI said payments should not be taxed, and directions should be given to banks and advertising sector's debtors to provide cash flow to meet essential expenses.

Demands for relief packages have also been raised by Indian Broadcasting Foundation and News Broadcasters Association. While INS sought removal of 5% customs duty on newsprint, twoyear tax holiday for newspaper establishments, 50% increase in DAVP advertisement rates and 100% increase in budget spend for print media, NBA sought waiver of 18% GST on advertisements, or for it to be lowered to 5% to bring it on par with print media.

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The business of advertising agencies has shrunk by more than 70 per cent following the spread of Covid-19 and the lockdown. In a recommendation to the government, the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), which is the national association of advertising agencies, has proposed that advertising expense be treated as an investment and the cost be amortised over the next three years.

The objective is to encourage a higher level of expenditure by profitable companies, which will in turn accelerate the revival of economic activity. In a letter to Prakash Javadekar, the Union minister of information & broadcasting, AAAI said on a Rs 100 expense, an advertiser be allowed to claim an expenditure of, say, twice that amount (Rs 200), while computing income tax.

The bulk of the agency's costs are fixed in nature, be it salaries, rent, electricity and communication, among others. "The income and cash flow has been in serious stress in the last month and unless there is some intervention, many businesses will either file for bankruptcy or will have to under-size considerably," the note said.

AAAI president Ashish Bhasin, who is also CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network Greater South and chairman & CEO of India, told TOI, "Advertising industry is like the lubricant to the economy. And the lubricant for the advertising industry is liquidity. If we can infuse liquidity in advertising by encouraging profitable companies to continue to advertise, it will spur consumer demand, which in turn will kick-start the economy. The positive benefit from an improved consumer demand will far outweigh the offsets we are asking for."

With hotels, airlines and other industries impacted by the lockdown, Bhasin said overall average advertising industry revenues have come down by more than 70%. "We had earlier estimated a growth projection of 11-12% for this calendar year. However, with the current situation, we might just end the year with a degrowth," said Bhasin.

AAAI has requested the government to pay its dues to advertising agencies at the earliest possible. AAAI has also asked for an expedited refund of GST applications within 2-4 weeks.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, the health ministry on Tuesday, issued home quarantine guidelines for people who have very mild symptoms of COVID-19. According to the guidelines, those with mild syptoms can opt for home isolation but will have to be in constant communication with the District Surveillance Officer, and a hospital and will have to sign an undertaking.

The present guidelines were issued in addition to guidelines on appropriate management of suspect/confirmed cases of Covid-19 issued by the Health Ministry on April 7

.@MoHFW_INDIA has issued guidelines for Home Isolation of very mild/pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases: Media briefing on #COVID19

Details: https://t.co/koNEShuVZ7 pic.twitter.com/6wUPLNg9Ne

— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) April 28, 2020

As per the revised guidelines, patients who have mild symptoms or are pre-symptomatic can now opt for self-isolation at their homes but they need to follow the norms laid down by the Health Ministry. 

Who is eligibile for self isolation at home?

COVID-19 patients who have been clinically assigned as a very mild case or pre-symptomatic case by the treating medical officer are eligible for self-isolation at home.

What are the pre-requisites in order to self-isolate at home?

• Patients who are eligible for self-isloation at home must have a requisite facility at their place of residence for self-isolation. More so, the patients must also ensure that there is enough space for other members of the family to quarantine at home.
• The patient must have a caregiver who can look after the patient and provide care 24x7. 
• Another prerequisite is that there should be a communication link between the caregiver of the patient and the hospital during the entire duration of home isolation.
• The caregiver and all the close contacts of the COVID-19 patient should take Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis as per the protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer.
• The patient has monitor his or her health and regularly inform their health status to the District Surveillance Officer for further follow up by the surveillance teams.
• Finally, the patient needs to fill an undertaking on self-isolation stating that they shall follow all home quarantine guidelines laid down by the Health Ministry.

When should a COVID-19 patient seek medical attention?

According to the revised guidelines issued by the Health Ministry, mild or pre-symptomatic patients shall seek immediate medical attention on the following grounds.

• When they face difficulty in breathing
• If they experience persistent pain/pressure in the chest
• Feel mentally confused or inability to arouse
• If they develop bluish discolorations of lips or face
• And if advised by treating medical officers

When will home isolation end?

Home isolation for COVID-19 patients can only be discontinued when the symptoms are clinically resolved and the surveillance medical officer certifies the mild or pre-symptomatic patient to be free of infection after the necassary laboratory testing.

Do's and don'ts for self-isolation patients and caregivers

• Caregivers must wear triple layered medical mask when in the same room with the COVID-19 patient.
• Caregivers should avoid direct contact with body fluids of the patient, especially oral or respiratory secretions.
• Caregivers must use disposable gloves while handling the patient. Hand hygiene should be undertaken done before and after removing gloves.
• Caregivers should pay strict attention to hand hygiene before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, and whenever the hands look dirty.
• Caregivers should avoid sharing cigarettes, eating from the same utensils, or exposing themselves to used towels or bed linen.
• COVID-19 patient should wear triple layer medical mask at all times. The patient must discard the mask after eight hours of use or earlier if they have become wet or visibly soiled.
• The patient must isolate themselves in a room and stay way from people.
• Patient must stay away from the elderly who maybe suffering from co-morbid conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal disease.
• During self-isolation, mild or pre-symptomatic patients must drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated and follow respiratory etiquette all the time.

With inputs from Agencies

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The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has suggested commencement of regular and normal working of courts in a phased manner with compliance of social distancing norms and wearing of masks after lifting of COVID-19 lockdown."We believe that physical court hearings, albeit in a phased manner, have to be commenced with meticulous and scrupulous compliance of social distancing norms, wearing of masks, maintaining the highest standards of sanitisation and hygiene etc," the DHCBA said in a statement.

The suggestions by the DHCBA in a letter to the committee headed by senior High Court judge Justice Hima Kohli include:

Courts have to be operational not only to extent of providing "urgent relief" but also to cater to other legal remedies which may be availed by common litigants. Scope of matters that may be listed includes injunctive reliefs, bail applications, suspension of sentence, objections to arbitration awards, execution petitions, writ petitions of all types, criminal appeals etc.

By notification by the court and judicial orders by Supreme Court, limitation periods have ceased to run during lockdown period, to avoid last minutes rush of filings when courts do reopen, ordinary e-filings/online filings of all matters be allowed, though they might not be heard till normalcy is restored. Petition boxes be used to acknowledge filings made therein.

Till normalcy is restored, litigants and interns shall not be permitted to access court/chamber blocks. Restriction may continue on advocates representing a party.

Lawyers, operating from their chambers and offices need access to chambers to prepare their cases, access their files, records, books and infrastructure. Client conference may be permitted after court hours.

Kiosks and shops inside court complexes may be kept closed. However, cafeterias and kitchens catering to chamber blocks may only be permitted to service lawyers by offering 'take away' options.

Only one entry point may be allowed per courtroom building. Entrants may be subjected to thermal temperature scanning. The option of making entrants pass through sanitisation tunnels may also be explored.

Public conveniences must be maintained with the highest level of sanitisation and for using these social distancing norms can be employed. An adequate number of sanitisers may be provided at various points throughout the court buildings.

Both District Legal Services Authority and Mediation Centres require the physical presence of litigants, the same may not be functional till normalcy is restored. As arbitration proceedings can go on without the presence of litigant, arbitration centre may be functional.

The Bar Association also assured the court of its utmost cooperation.

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Tasked to ensure the enforcement of lockdown in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the district's Sahibabad Police were on Wednesday surprised when a mother came to the police station complaining that she had sent her son to buy groceries but he returned with his wife.

"I had sent my son to do the grocery shopping today, but when he returned, he came back with his wife. I am not ready to accept this marriage," said the teary-eyed mother. Speaking about the marriage, Guddu, 26-year-old groom, said: "I got married to Savita two months ago at an Arya Samaj Mandir in Haridwar."

"However, we could not get the marriage certificate at that time due to lack of witnesses. I had decided to visit Haridwar again for my marriage certificate but could not do so as the lockdown was imposed," he added. "After returning from Haridwar, Savita stayed at a rented accommodation in Delhi. However, today I decided to bring her to my mother's house as she was told to leave the rented accommodation due to lockdown," said Guddu.

Giving a solution to the family feud, the Sahibabad Police have asked Savita's house owner in Delhi to let the couple stay there during the lockdown period.

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In a shocking development that sparked fears of local transmission, 41 persons residing in a single building in Kapashera in south-west Delhi have tested positive.

"One woman had tested positive on April 18. She was immediately shifted to a hospital. But considering the density of people housed in the building's small rooms and common toilets, we contained the area for public good," south-west Delhi's District Magistrate Rahul Singh said on Saturday.

The incident was reported in Theke Wali Gali near the DC office in Kapashera. As per the guidelines, a containment zone is created if at least three positive cases are reported in a particular area. "Samples of all residents of the building were collected and sent to National Institute of Biologicals, Noida. Of the test reports of 67 persons made available on Saturday, 40 tested positive," official sources said.

"The samples were collected on April 20 and 21 but due to closure of inter-state borders and high pendency with NIB, the results were delayed by around 10 days," the officer added.

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Emphasising on the plight of migrants and the money being charged from them for ferrying them back to their home, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday said that the party will bear the cost of their rail tickets.

In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, our workers and labourers form the "backbone" of our economy and their hard work and sacrifice are the foundation of our nation.

She said that as the Central government barely gave a four-hour notice of the lockdown, workers and migrant labourers were denied the opportunity to return to their homes. Post the partition of 1947, this is the first time India witnessed a tragedy with such a massive human cost as thousands of migrant workers and labourers were forced to walk home several hundred kilometres on foot - without food, without medicines, without money, without transportation, without anything except for the desire to return to their families and loved ones.

"The very thought of their plight is enough to break our hearts as there was also the outpouring of support from fellow Indians for their inspiring resolve," she said.

The Congress leader lamenting at the government said, "What is the responsibility of our government? Even today, lakhs of workers and migrant labourers are languishing in different parts of the country and wish to return to their homes and families but there is neither adequate money nor provision for free transport."

"What is particularly disturbing is that the Central government and the rail ministry are charging them for train tickets in this hour of crisis," she said.

Sonia Gandhi said, "The Congress has, therefore, taken a decision that every Pradesh Congress Committee (state unit) shall bear the cost for the rail travel of every needy worker and migrant labourer and shall take necessary steps in this regard."

"This will be the Congress' humble contribution in service of our compatriots and to stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with them," she said.

Her remarks came amid the reports that the migrants were being charged for their travel by trains to their respective states.

The railways has earlier said that it was charging the state governments for the Shramik special train tickets.

The railways also clarified that the Shramik Special trains are meant for "nominated people" identified and registered by state governments and the railways will not issue any tickets to any individual or entertain any request from any groups.

The railways has started to run the Shramik Special trains for transporting the labourers from May 1, almost 40 days after the passenger, mail and Express trains services were suspended.

Till now the national transporter has run over a dozen of Shramik Special trains on the request of the state governments to ferry the migrant labourers.

Emphasising on the role of labourers in country's growth she said that they are the ambassadors of our nation's growth.

Attacking the government, she further said that when our government can recognise its responsibility by arranging free air travel for our citizens stranded abroad, when the government can spend nearly Rs 100 crore on transport and food, etc. for just one public programme in Gujarat, when the Rail Ministry has the largesse to donate Rs 151 crore to the PM's corona fund, then why can't these essential members of our nation's fabric be given a fraction of the same courtesy, especially free rail travel, at this hour of acute distress?

She said that Congress has been raising the issue of transporting the migrants from the outset of the lockdown.

"There needs to be provisions for the safe and free rail travel of migrant workers and labourers to their home-towns. However, despite our repeated demands, the Central government and the Rail Ministry have chosen to completely ignore the same," she said.

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Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday registered an FIR against independent MLA from Nautanwa Aman Mani Tripathi and his six associates for stepping out without having a valid pass during COVID-19 lockdown.

They were returning from Uttarakhand and were detained in the Nazibabad area of Bijnor district. Superintendent of Police (SP) Bijnor Sanjeev Tyagi said, "He was not authorised by Uttar Pradesh government to go to Uttarakhand. He was out unnecessarily and did not have a valid pass. Action is being taken. He will be quarantined and tested."

No weapons were recovered from the seven, added the SP. Tripathi and others were earlier arrested by the Uttarakhand Police on Sunday allegedly for violating lockdown norms and misbehaving with government officials.

After the arrest, they were served a notice and were sent back to Uttar Pradesh. The incident had occurred at Gauchar of Chamoli district where his entourage was stopped for screening by the officials on duty. Tripathi, along with 10 others, was on a trip to Badrinath and Kedarnath.

Uttarakhand DG, Law and Order, Ashok Kumar had told ANI that an FIR has been registered against Tripathi and 11 other persons under Sections 188, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code, Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Disease Act.

The Uttar Pradesh government had clarified on Monday that it did not authorise Tripathi to travel to Uttarakhand.

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A 58-year-old assistant sub- inspector of police has died of coronavirus in Maharashtras Solapur district, an official said on Thursday. With this, five police personnel from the state have so far succumbed to the viral infection. The assistant sub-inspector, posted at Solapur MIDC police station, was admitted to the civil hospital there on Tuesday after he tested positive for coronavirus. He died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on Wednesday, the official said.

The victim, who was set to retire after four months, was on duty till last week, he said. Maharashtra Police expressed grief over the personnel's demise. "DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police offer their condolences to the bereaved family, the state police said in a tweet.

Constable Amit from @DelhiPolice succumbed to Coronavirus. Shri. Amit was serving the state of Delhi in these troubled times. May his soul rest in peace.

DGP and all ranks of Maharashtra Police offer their condolences to his family.

— Maharashtra Police (@DGPMaharashtra) May 7, 2020

Last month, three personnel of Mumbai Police and one of Pune Police died of COVID-19. So far, 456 police personnel, including 42 officers, have tested positive for coronavirus in the state.

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Sophie Turner, who stars as Phoenix in the film series "X-Men", has said that she would relish the opportunity to reprise her role in the future.

"I don't even know what the deal is, whether Disney wants to continue on the 'X-Men' journey. I would always be down to go back to that character and that cast and that experience ... We had the best time on those movies. I would kill to go back," she said in a video chat seen on Twitter, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Turner is currently starring in the TV series "Survive", where she plays a survivor of a plane crash who has to make it back to civilisation. She hopes the new show will make those suffering with mental illness feel "less alone".

Turner said: "What drew me to the script was the way that mental illness was written so accurately in my opinion. It felt real to me. I also loved the notion that this girl who wanted to die so badly ends up fighting for a life that she never wanted to live in the first place."

She also feels "Survive" will help to make people feel less alone. "I hope that the story of this girl finding something to live for helps others find the ability to do that, too," she said.

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Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson says he had auditioned for the part of the popular character Jack Reacher, which he lost out to actor Tom Cruise.

He made the revelation during a Q&A session on Instagram. Through a seven-minute video, Johnson said he really wanted the role in the 2012 action movie, adding that losing it opened another door for him, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"Business is business and I'm happy (Cruise) got it," he said. The action star said he was confident about getting the part as he believed his physical attributes were perfect for the character, which has been created by author Lee Child.

"In Hollywood, actors are kind of like in-a-box. There are actors that can vie for a particular role because it allows for them to have a certain look, skin colour, size, etc. Fortunately, for me, there aren't a lot of guys at all who look like me. So, all of my roles, from the beginning of my career, I've been a lucky son of a b***h that they've been created and designed for me -- except Jack Reacher," he said.

At that time, Johnson said that Cruise was "biggest movie star in the world".

"I got the call saying 'Hey, you didn't get the role'. Look, I didn't even know if I had a shot for it, but the people around me at that time made me think that I did. I felt like I did, I felt like 'Why not me?'" he said.

"I'm positive that the role of Jack Reacher, because it was an established character, an IP that was well known and beloved around the world, that I wouldn't have had the creative space to do what I wanted with the character. I look back in gratitude that I didn't get Jack Reacher," he added.

Later, Johnson got a chance to essay the role of Luke Hobbs in the fifth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise.

"The universe works in funny ways though, as when that door shut on me, another door opened with the opportunity to create a character from scratch that was of my DNA," he said.

Today, Johnson is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and has iconic films, including The Mummy Returns, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Hercules, Snitch, Moana, revamped Jumanji franchise and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, under his belt.

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Rapper Pitbull has dropped his latest song, "I believe that we will win". Proceeds from the song will be donated to coronavirus relief efforts across the globe.

He has released the song along with a lyric video showcasing the song's inspiring message, reports etonline.com. "You know what spreads faster than any virus? Fear/And when it comes to fear, you can either forget everything and run, or you can face everything and rise," Pitbull raps in the track.

"Let me tell you what I believe/ I believe we will face everything and rise." Pitbull had asked healthcare workers, parents and more to be a part of his new music video, which is yet to drop, last week.

"We believe that we can overcome. We are calling all students, medical workers, first responders, parents, grandparents, everyone from all over the world to be a part of Pitbull's video anthem. Proceeds will be going to various charities around that world," read a notice asking fans to submit videos of themselves dancing to the song.

Pitbull has been encouraging fans to maintain hope amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Let's show the world, how powerful it is when we come together to fight for one cause - that's called life," he had posted on Instagram on March 28.

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The release date of Disney's 'Soul' has been moved from June 19 to November 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the release of Disney's animation feature 'Raya and the Last Dragon' has also been relocated from November 25 to March 12, 2021.

The animated film 'Soul' revolves around the story of a middle school teacher, who had a dream of pursuing a career in jazz music. The story takes a turn when he gets an opportunity to feature at the opening act at the Half Note Club and a life-threatening accident leads to separation of his soul from his body.

'Soul' joins many other Hollywood films that have their releases delayed due to the coronavirus. According to the World Health Organisation, COVID-19 has affected over 18,12,734 people globally and has claimed the lives of 1,13,675 people.

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'Live from Zoom, it's sometime between March and August!' The show that has received over 250 Emmy nominations in the past 5 decades, returns for a home edition, with a surprise host. With all our favourite shows going on Hiatus, the cast of the popular Talk show – Saturday Night Live came up with a special episode – 'Saturday Night Live at Home' to entertain the audience in their own quirky way. Watch how the show feels without all those specially crafted costumes and elaborative setups, highlighting the simplicity of the comedy.

The show, best known for featuring celebrity hosts, invites someone special for this edition. Having recently recovered from Coronavirus himself and been frequent on Saturday Night Live, Tom Hanks graces the show from his kitchen to host the first-ever remote episode of the famous talk show. Lighten up your Saturday evenings as you watch the rest of the cast members at home, in their kitchens, sleeping in their beds and hanging out with
their kids.

As the cast remains in self-isolation, the audience can watch Beck Bennet doing the dishes, Heidi Gardner deadlifting cartons of milk, and Alex Moffat sitting on his porch. The "remotely produced content" also includes Coldplay singer Chris Martin, Colin Jost and Michael Che, with the former playing Bob Dylan's "Shelter From the Storm" and the latter two hosting their "Weekend Update."

With all the stars gathered virtually to entertain you with a truckload of specials, the episode will air exclusively on Comedy Central on Saturday at 9 pm.

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Actor Chris Hemsworth found shooting in India "overwhelming" because of the positivity and enthusiasm that he experienced while filming the upcoming Netflix film "Extraction" in the country.

"I loved shooting in India. The people were incredible. I didn't realise how popular the Marvel films were in India. So that was, at times, overwhelming," Hemsworth told IANS during a special video call before the release of his Netflix movie.

"There was such positivity and enthusiasm for all of us and our crew… During shooting, we had hundreds and thousands of people on certain days lining up on the streets and up on top of bridges and in buildings, you know, after every takes, cheering and applauding. I've never experienced anything like it. And as I said, I have such fond memories of India and the people there," he added while recounting his time in India.

Hemsworth shot for the Netflix film in India in 2018. He shot in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The "Thor" star was scheduled to be in Mumbai on March 16 to promote the film that has been shot in India. The promotional tour was called off due to the global coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier in an interview to IANS, Hemsworth, whose daughter is named India, revealed the reason behind naming his daughter after the country.

"My wife (Elsa Pataky) spent a lot of time in India and that was where the name originally came from," Hemsworth said in that interview, adding: "I love the place and the people. It was sort of intimidating as it was exciting because there were so many people… We felt like rock stars in a stadium. But the warmth and support we got while shooting there, no matter how disruptive we were to their daily lives, it was so good. "

Originally titled "Dhaka", the film also stars Indian actors Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi, Priyanshu Painyulli, and Rudraksh Jaiswal. It revolves around Tyler Rake (essayed by Hemsworth), a fearless, black market mercenary, who embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he is enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. The film, directed by Sam Hargrave, will release on Netflix on April 24.

Talking about working for a streaming platform for the first time, Hemsworth said: "It's my first time working on a streaming platform. I was excited to do it, strangely enough, you know, it's probably the best place to be at this point.

"We put in, you know, the same amount of commitment and passion and enthusiasm as we would with anything else, whether it was a cinema release or a streaming space. I am beyond proud of the film. From the very beginning, I loved the script. I love the story that we were able to tell and the opportunity to shoot action, unlike anything I'd certainly been a part of before."

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Veteran singer-actor Rita Wilson has said that it was easier for her to cope with the coronavirus as she was accompanied by her husband, Hollywood star Tom Hanks. The couple were among the first Hollywood celebrities to be tested positive for COVID-19, which has claimed over 150,000 lives globally. Hanks and Wilson were in Australia when they were diagnosed with the coronavirus. They have now recovered from it.

Talking with The Guardian, Wilson, 63, said the ordeal was a lot easier since they both had symptoms at the same time. "I think that having the virus at the same time made it that little bit easier. We were taking care of each other instead of having the pressure of taking care of one person and no one taking care of you or understanding that the person at home needs a break. "We were fortunate we were in a place where we understood what the other was going through," she said. However, Wilson, who previously battled breast cancer, said suffering from the COVID-19 was extremely difficult. "We both had a high fever and were extremely achey. I lost my sense of taste and smell, had stomach issues and shivering like you wouldn't believe. Yeah, I was scared.

"Extreme nausea, vertigo, my muscles felt like wet noodles, so I couldn't really stand. We were just trying to get through it," she added. Wilson said that Hanks, 63, presented'milder symptoms¿ than she had. "He did not have as high a fever. He did not lose his sense of taste or smell. But it still took us the same amount of time to get through it," she added. In a separate interview with The National Defense Radio Show, Hanks agreed that Wilson had a much tougher time than he did. "Rita had a much tougher time than I did. She had a much higher fever. She had lost her sense of taste and sense of smell. I had some bad body aches and fatigue," he said. Hanks recalled when he was locked down in a hospital with Wilson, he baffled a doctor by trying to do an exercise that left him "wiped" after just ten minutes. "She looked at me through her glasses like she was talking to the dumbest human being, and she said, (sternly) 'You have COVID-19'," the actor said.

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Taylor Swift won millions of hearts with her performance of hope at the virtual concert One World: Together At Home where she performed Soon You'll Be Better.

According to E! Online, the Grammy winner musician didn't use words but the lyrics of her song and her music to do the talking while she expressed gratitude towards the frontline workers during the show.

The singer was seen spreading a ray of hope as she sang, "Soon you'll be better, cause you have to."

Over 70 artists and celebrities from across the globe had joined the WHO's initiative of the online concert to thank and celebrate the healthcare workers fighting the pandemic.

Some of the artists that were a part of the show are Elton John, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Celine Dion, and the Rolling Stone.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the virtual concert raised over USD 127 million for the relief efforts of COVID-19.

The show was hosted by the most popular hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert.

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Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk says his son Nathan had coronavirus symptoms, which were worse than any flu.

During a recent appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, the Breaking Bad star opened up about his 21-year-old son's battle with the novel coronavirus, reports people.com.

He said that Nathan, who suffered from asthma "for a good chunk of his life", has recovered from the virus, describing it as an alarming experience.

According to Odenkirk, the family sought comfort in reports that claimed younger patients experienced mild cases of the virus. After going through this personally, the actor feels it is largely on a "case by case" basis.

"In the end, it was pretty bad and it was worse than the flu," the 57-year-old said of his son's case.

"According to him, the pain in his throat was the worst thing of all, but I think also the fatigue. And it lasted longer than the flu," he said.

Odenkirk added that he was grateful his son made it out "pretty easily" as compared to many others who suffer from severe cases.

He said that his son's illness "got scarier the longer it went". "The further we got from it, I became aware that we got very lucky," he added.

Odenkirk stressed on the need to stay indoors, while acknowledging the difficulties faced by the underprivileged.

"We are very lucky to have a nice home that's big enough for us. I think a lot about the homes I lived in before I did well enough, and how hard it would be to shelter-in-place in some of the basement apartments that I lived in. That must be very hard for people," he said.

"I thank people who are doing it. It's really stunning to me. I'm a cynic, I think, and that's one of the reasons I like comedy, but I'm just stunned at the cooperation from people and the community. You know they're caring for each other really by doing this and so it's been heartening, I'd say," Odenkirk added.

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Warner Bros Studios' The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the DC superhero and directed by Matt Reeves, will now release in October, 2021. The film's production was put on halt in mid-March due to coronavirus outbreak and the studio has now announced that movie, which was earlier scheduled to hit the theatres on June 25, 2021, will now bow out on October 1, 2021.

According to Deadline, the studio has also rescheduled superhero movies 'The Flash' and 'Shazam2'. While 'The Flash' will open on June 2, 2022, instead of July 1, 'Shazam 2', earlier set to release on April 1, 2022, will now come out on November 4, 2022. Also, 'The Sopranos' feature prequel 'The Many Saints of Newark', originally dated for September 25 of this year, has now been shifted to March 12 next year.

Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley movie, starring Tom Hanks, will now hit the theatres on November 5, 2021, a month after the originally planned release. As per the studio's new release calendar, Will Smith drama 'King Richard' will now bow out on November 19, 2021 instead of November 25 this year. Last month, Warner Bros Studios postponed the release of its much-awaited superhero movie 'Wonder Woman 1984' from June 5 to August 14.

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Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is a fearless black market mercenary with nothing left to lose when his skills are solicited to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord. But in the murky underworld of weapons dealers and drug traffickers, an already deadly mission approaches the impossible, forever altering the lives of Tyler Rake and the boy. An action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller directed by Sam Hargrave, Extraction is an AGBO Films and TGIM Films, Inc. production, produced by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Eric Gitter, and Peter Schwerin.

Amidst the action, the fights, the chaos and gangster war, Ovi (played by Rudhraksh Jaiswal) develops a special bond with Tyler Rake. He becomes Ovi's hero for being a brave man in the way he rescues people and is the best at what he does. Ovi sees Tyler's emotional side, hidden behind an otherwise strong exterior, and touches the chords of his heart with his kind words. The two share a beautiful bond of trust and friendship which is showcased throughout the film.

The film also stars Randeep Hooda, Golshifteh Farahani, Pankaj Tripathi, Priyanshu Painyuli and David Harbour, among others. Extraction releases exclusively on Netflix on April 24, 2020.

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The late king of pop Micheal Jackson once got mad at pop diva Madonna for asking him to dress up like a girl for his "In the closet" music video. During Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' Instagram Live battle with Teddy Riley, the former spilled some hot goss on Michael Jackson, reports aceshowbiz.com.

In between songs, Edmonds recalled what Jackson told him: " 'Babyface, can you believe she wants me to dress like a girl?' He was like, 'I'd never do that.' He said, 'She was trying to change it all up. It was crazy.' "

The record producer then mentioned that the "Heal the world" hitmaker "was really mad about it", to the point where he decided to replace Madonna with Naomi Campbell. Produced by MJ and Teddy Riley, "In the Closet" was released in April 1992 as the third single of his eighth album "Dangerous".

The song was originally conceived as a duet between MJ and Madonna.

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Jim Parsons says playing the talent agent Henry Willson in Ryan Murphys upcoming "Hollywood" turned out to be "one of the more powerful experiences" of his life.

Murphy's limited series follows a group of aspiring actors who try to make it big in post-World War II Hollywood.

Murphy was sure that Parsons, still best known as lovable nerd-genius Sheldon in "The Big Bang Theory", would be perfect for the role of Willson. After working on the series, Parsons admits that he had developed empathy for the agent, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

"He ended up destitute because he had used every resource he had to get his clients to the place that he wanted them to be and that they wanted to be -- paying for clothes, paying for lessons, paying for teeth -- and so as nasty and weird and slimy as he could be at times, I felt for him when I read he died penniless in a Styrofoam coffin," said Parsons.

To get the role right, Parsons would spend some two and a half hours in the make-up chair.

"I'd leave the makeup trailer feeling somewhat transformed and a little freer without even knowing it was happening," he said, adding: "It ended up being one of the more powerful experiences of my life."

The Netflix show also stars David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Jeremy Pope, Laura Harrier, Samara Weaving, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, Jake Picking, and Joe Mantello amongst others.

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Singer Jessica Simpson was having a relaxing moment when she almost got hit in the face by son's baseball. Jessica is enjoying the quality family time as she quarantines amid the growing coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Attempted gettin’ some sun and my son smacked a homerun from the driveway that almost nailed me in the face. Proof is in the splash. Needless to say, I got off the mat 😂

A post shared by Jessica Simpson (@jessicasimpson) onApr 25, 2020 at 3:56pm PDT

But it's not all perfect moments for the Texas native as she isolates with her husband and three kids. She posted a photo of her in a bikini on Instagram as her son Ace hit a baseball that nearly collided with her face, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The 39-year-old is seen basking in the sun while floating on a mat. The baseball splashing next to her head is also visible. She wrote: "Attempted gettin' some sun and my son smacked a homerun from the driveway that almost nailed me in the face. Proof is in the splash. Needless to say, I got off the mat."

Simpson shares son Ace Knute and daughters Maxwell Drew and Birdie Mae with husband Eric Johnson.

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Covid-19 survivors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have offered their blood to help develop a vaccine for coronavirus. In early March, the couple had tested positive for Covid-19 while in Australia. They returned home to Los Angeles at the end of March after recovering.

Hanks said on a podcast last week that he and Wilson volunteered to donate their blood and plasma for coronavirus research, reports variety.com.

"A lot of the questions (are) what do we do now? Is there something we can do? And, in fact, we just found out that we do carry the antibodies," he said. "We have not only been approached, we have said, aDo you want our blood? Can we give plasma?'"

The actor also said that he had a name ready if a coronavirus vaccine is made from his blood donation. "In fact, we will be giving it now to the places that hope to work on what I would like to call the 'Hank-ccine'," he said.

Hanks also said that he and Wilson are feeling "just fine" and "dandy" after their bout with the virus.

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Actor Chris Pratt and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt are expecting their first baby together. The two had exchanged vows on June 8 last year and now they are gearing up for the next chapter in their lives, sources told people.com.

The baby on the way will be Katherine's first child while Pratt already has a son Jack, whom the actor shares with ex-wife Anna Faris.

This comes after Katherine, who is currently on a virtual book tour for her bestseller, The Gift Of Forgiveness, was spotted out walking her dog with her mother, Maria Shriver on Friday, sporting what looked to be a baby bump, reports dailymail.co.uk.

For the day outing, she chose a baggy, beige striped low-cut jumper, which looked to be a piece of maternity clothing.

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Veteran actress Julie Andrews says she wants a third part of "The Princess Diaries" franchise to happen soon as she is "getting awfully old". It's been 16 years since the second film in "The Princess Diaries" film opened. The series also stars Anne Hathaway.

During her appearance on "The Talk", the 84-year-old actress opened up about the prospect of a third movie, reports dailymail.co.uk. "It's long been talked about but nothing sort of been on my desk or anything like that. I think I would (do it). I'm getting awfully old and crotchety," she said.

Andrews played Queen Clarisse Renaldi, the ruler of Genovia in "The Princess Diaries", with Hathaway playing her granddaughter, Princess Mia Thermopolis.

The first movie followed the Queen as she groomed the princess to rule the land of Genovia. The movie made on a $26 million budget was a surprise hit. In 2004, Andrews and Hathaway reunited for the sequel "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement", about Mia preparing for marriage and finding love.

Talking about the franchise, Andrews said: "'I'm not sure if it's the right timing, but I think to work with Annie (Hathaway) would be lovely again. And yeah, sure I would be up for it. I think we should wait if the script comes in just wait for that."

Filmmaker Garry Marshall, who passed away in 2016, directed both movies, with Gina Wendkos writing the first movie and Shonda Rhimes writing the sequel.

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American actor Kate Hudson recently appeared on a virtual chat on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,' and she reminisced the 2000 film 'Almost Famous' and talked with her old pal about how "wild" it is to revisit that time.

According to E!News, the 41-year-old actor and Fallon both starred in the 2000 film 'Almost Famous' but even two decades later, there's a lot to know about what went down during that time. As the two talked about recently appearing on a podcast dedicated to the film, Hudson said, "There were so many things that I forgot... that I remembered while we were doing the interview. It was such a beautiful walk down that time in our lives. What a special experience for everybody that was."

Hudson then reminisced the 'Almost Famous' days and jokingly said, "And then there were relationships that came out of it, which by the way we need to discuss."

The 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,' host Fallon then shared the story of how he tried to woo the actor years ago but ended up introducing her to her now ex-husband Chris Robinson.

Hudson referred to an older episode from 2018 clip from 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,' when Fallon revealed to Margot Robbie that he had a crush on Hudson earlier. After which Fallon asked her, "Did you see it?"

She said, "Yes, are you kidding me? I had like 100 people send me that clip. Can I just tell you what happened to me as I was listening to this?"

The 'Raising Heaven' star went on, "I was like, Jimmy... I had no idea like there was no... like I wish people could have been in our body to watch you and I's relationship and friendship because... you gave me no indication."

Fallon answered even as he blushed, "Well, I gave a little indication, I thought we were good together."

She said, "Jimmy if you would have actually made a move, I would have totally gone there. I remember thinking to myself, why has Jimmy never made a move? And then I just kind of realized, 'Oh, he's not into me like that.' And so, then I met Chris."

But Fallon interjected, saying, "That's not the story at all!"

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As actor Dwayne Johnson or 'The Rock' turned 48 today, his friend and co-actor Ryan Reynolds made sure to wish him. Reynolds took to Twitter and penned down a birthday wish for his 'Red Notice' co-star.

 

 

 

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Today is @therock’s birthday. There’ll be a lot of well wishes for him. He deserves it. This year, we fulfilled a lifelong dream: shooting exactly half a film called RED NOTICE before being promptly shut down. Had we not spent 90 percent of our time laughing, we might have finished it in time. Happy Birthday, Bubba. 📷: @hhgarcia41

A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) onMay 2, 2020 at 11:35am PDT

"He may have gone through puberty in the womb, but he was born with a heart of solid gold. One of the best guys on earth," the 43-year-old actor tweeted.

"Happy Birthday to my friend, co-star and ribbon dance professor, @therock," his tweet further read.

Taking a moment out from his birthday, The Rock too made sure he replies to his friend's best wishes and said, "Appreciate you, mi amigo. And all our ribbon dances under the pale moonlight."

The Rock turned 48 today and celebrated the birthday in quarantine at his home with his family.

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Hollywood stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson are set to reteam for a superhero film from The Big Sick co-scribe Emily V Gordon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is an adaptation of the 1990s comic book "Ball and Chain" from writer Scott Lobdell.

Gordon, best known for co-writing 2017 romantic comedy The Big Sick with her husband Kumail Nanjiani, is adapting the script from the comic. Blunt and Johnson, who are currently looking forward to the release of their Disney movie Jungle Cruise, will play a bickering couple who receive superpowers that only work if they can learn to put aside their differences and work together.

Several studios are aggressively competing for the project with streamer Netflix being the frontrunner currently. The movie will be produced by Johnson through his Seven Bucks banner with Dany and Hiram Garcia. Blunt and Kevin Misher will also produce.

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A day after the protest by hearing-and speech-impaired people turned violent in Pune, the government has assured them that their demands would be met. On Monday, thousands of deaf-mute protesters were badly thrashed by the police as they stood outside the social welfare department office in Pune. They wanted 16 demands to be fulfilled by the government.

On Tuesday, Social Justice Minister Dilip Kamble met the protesters and assured help. Social Justice and Special Assistance Minister Rajkumar Badoley, while addressing the Vidhan Sabha, has also assured that their grievances would be heard.

State Level Association for the Deaf (SLAD) president Pradeep More said, "The government has partially agreed to our demands, of which they have given priority to our secondary and higher secondary schooling for deaf children and also to recruit sign language teachers in such schools and colleges."

Minister Kamble said, "We were working on it and have assured them that their issues will be addressed before the session gets over. A meeting will be organised with members of SLAD and other NGOs under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis." The Pune police administration issued a press release on the lathi-charge on Monday saying they "had to take action to maintain law and order".

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Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived late Tuesday night and will stay overnight before leaving for Akluj in Solapur district, where he will address an election rally on Wednesday. Modi arrived at the Lohegaon airport were BJP leaders, including the party's Lok Sabha candidate from the city Girish Bapat, sitting MP Anil Shirole and Pune city BJP president Yogesh Gogawale received him.

According to BJP leaders, the PM will stay overnight at Raj Bhavan in Pune and leave for Akluj to address an election rally in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency of Solapur district Wednesday.

Raj Thackeray hits out at Narendra Modi, Amit Shah at poll rally
MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday appealed to people to ensure "disappearance" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah from the political scene of the country for spreading "lies" and "causing" communal disharmony.

Addressing a poll rally in Solapur district of Maharashtra, he called the prime minister "shameless" for seeking votes in the name of jawans without acknowledging their sacrifice. In controversial remarks, he asked the people gathered at the rally to accept money if offered to them by those who are "looting" the country.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is not contesting the Lok Sabha elections, but Thackeray has been addressing rallies in support of Congress-NCP-led alliance candidates, who are pitted against the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. "I am here to wake all of you up against the tactics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. "The kind of lies they have spread and caused communal disharmony, you should ensure they both get disappeared from the political horizons of this country," he said.

In a veiled attack on the Shiv Sena, he said, "Those who are helping Modi-Shah should also not be spared. You should not vote for those who help Modi-Shah stay in power." Thackeray, however, did not mention the Shiv Sena, his former party, or any of its leaders in his speech. After showing a video of Modi, where he purportedly claims a trader takes more risk than a jawan, Thackeray said, "The prime minister seeks votes from people in the name of jawans, but makes such remarks about their sacrifice. I have so far not seen a more "shameless" prime minister than him."

"They are trying to fool you by raising non-issues ahead of elections. If they distribute money, accept it. This is the right time to loot them. "You cannot imagine the way our country is being looted by these people, but accept their money and do not look back," Thackeray said.

He claimed Modi and Shah are pushing the country on path of authoritarianism like the current regime in Russia where power is concentrated in the hands of 7-8 people. Thackeray also exposed the Maharashtra government's claim of a village in Amravati district - Harisal - being the first digital village in the country.

However, a video procured by MNS workers shows no digital services such as Internet connection and card swapping for financial transaction, among others, are operational in the village, he said. "What Adolf Hitler did to Germany in 1930s is going to be replicated in India if Modi and Shah return to power," Thackeray warned. Solapur will vote on April 18

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