Filmmaker James Gunn recently revealed that neither of his upcoming movie -- 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 3 nor 'The Suicide Squad' will be affected by delays due to the coronavirus crisis.

One of the director's fans in a question-answer session on the Twitter asked about the possibilities of pushing ahead 'Guardians of the Galaxy' vol 3, to which Gunn on Sunday replied: "Right now the plans with Vol 3 are also exactly the same as they were before coronavirus."

In another reply, the 53-year-old said: "Right now there's no reason for #TheSuicideSquad release date to move. We are on or ahead of schedule. We were extremely fortunate to wrap shooting & set up editing from our homes (due to a post-production team & studio with foresight) before quarantine."

The upcoming movie is a sequel to the original 2016 released 'Suicide Squad.'

Actors Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis will reprise their roles in the film alongside new cast members Taika Waititi, Peter Capaldi, Idris Elba, John Cena, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, David Dastmalchian and Daniela Melchior.

The original 'Suicide Squad' was a box office success, grossing USD 746.8 million worldwide. The upcoming fantasy-action is expected to hit theatres on August 6, 2021.

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A 26-year-old IT professional from a reputed firm here allegedly hanged himself after naming two colleagues in his suicide note, police said on Friday. Chetan Jayale, who was working in Hinjawadi IT Park, hanged himself at his rented accommodation on Wednesday, an official said.

"We have recovered a suicide note in which he has named two of his senior managers and alleged that he was subjected to mental harassment by them and that is why he was taking this step," a Chaturshringi police station official said.

"On Wednesday, while his room mates went to work, Jayale, who had taken an off from office, remained at home. He then hanged himself," he said. A case has been registered against the two persons named in Jayale's suicide note, he added. "While one official is in UK, the other is working here," he added.

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A class 12 student allegedly committed suicide in Gurugram's upscale residential condominium in DLF phase 5 area on Tuesday night The deceased, a resident of DLF Carlton Estate, jumped from the balcony of his flat on 11th floor of the building at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. The local police is investigating his alleged involvement in Bois Locker Room Instagram account.

"We have seized his mobile phone and sent to forensic lab for analysis. We have also involved cyber crime cell to investigate his social media accounts and nature of chatting he does, to understand his character and possible reason of taking extreme step," said Deepak Kumar, SHO of sector 53 police station.

The police official ruled out any foul play during preliminary investigation. The deceased has not left any suicide note. Further action will be taken only after detailed reports of his mobile analysis is received. As of now, legal proceedings under CrPC 174 have been initiated.

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Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has warned against "artificial means" of deciding the Premier League. In a statement to the London club's supporters, which saw the former England boss thank health workers and all those trying to combat the coronavirus, the veteran former England manager insisted there was widespread support for playing the 2019/20 season out to a finish. "Everyone is in total agreement we need an end to this season," wrote Hodgson.

"We don't want artificial means of deciding who wins the league, who gets into the Champions League, who gets relegated and promoted." His letter came after UEFA, European football's governing body, warned a failure to complete domestic leagues could see clubs excluded from continental competitions next season. Hodgson said players who, in common with the rest of the British population, are currently in lockdown would ideally like three to four weeks' preparation before playing a match again.

But the 72-year-old added: "I accept there may have to be a squeeze on that time-frame." The Premier League has been suspended until April 30 at the earliest, with further delays looking likely. League leaders Liverpool, one of Hodgson's former clubs, are a huge 25 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, with nine games to play and need just two more wins to be certain of their first English championship in 30 years. Palace are currently safely in mid-table, with the Eagles 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

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A video of Hertha Berlin forward Salomon Kalou shaking hands with his team-mates "shocked" key German politicians, who are set to decide Wednesday whether the Bundesliga can resume next month. "The video has done the German league (DFL) and professional football a disservice," Anja Stahmann, chairwoman of Germany's regional sports ministers, told radio station RBB on Wednesday. "I have heard from colleagues that they are shocked and shaken.

"We were struck by great doubts when we watched the video," admitted the sports senator for the state of Bremen. "I got the impression that good rules were being written down on paper, but that they were not actually being lived out." The Bundesliga is set to be given the green light by the government on Wednesday to resume later this month behind closed doors and with strict hygiene measures in place.

Germany's regional sports ministers have already approved the Bundesliga's plans to resume, but Stahmann said Ivory Coast international Kalou's video left a bad impression. "Some people think the Bundesliga has lost its grip in times of a pandemic," Stahmann added. On Monday, the former Chelsea forward was suspended by Hertha after posting a video to Facebook showing him greeting team-mates and club employees with handshakes, flaunting hygiene guidelines laid out by the league. Kalou apologised for disregarding the social distancing rules, saying: "it was a big mistake".

The 34-year-old also said he could understand how his video, shot in the dressng room, caused shockwaves as the league was seeking permission to return to action. Kalou has scored 48 goals in 151 Bundesliga games for Hertha, but is out of contract at the end of the season and could have played his last game for the club. "It was respectless and I want to apologise for that sincerely," he added.

"But I am about more than those five bad minutes that people see of me in the dressing room." However, Kalou's video drew criticism from the top of the German government. Health minister Jens Spahn said it was "right" that Hertha suspended Kalou and there were "consequences after the video".

Bavaria's premier minister Markus Soeder said the league has developed an "excellent" hygiene concept but "there are individual players, as we have read, who are behaving very, very poorly".

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The Tourism Ministry and the IRCTC have enlisted 60 bloggers from 23 countries, including India, as part of a new publicity blitz to write on luxury trains run by the railways and improve their dwindling occupancy rate. The first-of-its-kind venture will allow the bloggers to take a week-long journey on Palace on Wheels, Maharaja Express, Deccan Odyssey and Golden Chariot in groups of 15 on each of the trains, a tourism ministry statement said today. The first 15 bloggers started their journey today on the Palace on Wheels from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi.

The decision to promote travel on the trains comes after a recent parliamentary panel report pointed out that the occupancy rate during past four years - starting in 2012-13 - had been 29.86 per cent, 32.33 per cent, 41.8 per cent, 41.58 per cent and 36.03 per cent respectively. It had also said that most of the seats on these trains were occupied by passengers who had complimentary tickets. The bloggers, who have been chosen on the basis of their number of followers, will travel to destinations in various states across India on the trains and write about them. "The campaign will generate widespread publicity for the luxury trains as well as the destinations visited, by way of blogs, videos and photos published by the bloggers or Instagramers on their experiences of their journey.

Needless to say this initiative would benefit the railways and the luxury train operators to a large extent", the statement said. The second group will leave Delhi on Maharaja Express on February 10, and the third group is scheduled to leave on Deccan Odyssey on the same day from the Chaatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai. The final group will leave on Golden Chariot on February 19 from Bengaluru on a week-long journey.

The Railway Board, the state sovernments of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka and the IRCTC - the tourism arm of the railways - have joined hands to host the bloggers, according to the statement.

Arijit Datta hobbles into The Fatty Bao with a twisted ankle. Sidd Coutto bustles in 10 minutes later. The former's a music composer who's moved away from bands like Agni and Airport towards film and advertising, while the latter is probably the busiest musician in the city's indie circles. They first dive into starters — Crystal Dumpling, Spicy Mushroom Sushi Roll, Dancing Prawns and California Rolls — and then into conversation about their craft.

Sen: How do you switch seamlessly from making indie music to more commercial projects?
Datta: It's not a switch really. I think that for me and for Sidd also, wherever there is a mode of expression, we just go there and do our thing.
Coutto: Yeah, true. For commercial concerts, you just go up there and rock 'n' roll, dude. It's just a two-hour gig, where you're hanging with your buddies on stage and partying away.
Datta: It would be different when it comes to writing songs, which we both do, because if you have to mould yourself according to the audience, that's what you might call a switch.

Sidd Coutto (left) and Arijit Datta share a laugh at The Fatty Bao in Bandra. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Sen (to Datta): So when you were composing for the movie Filmistaan, did you have to keep the audience in mind?
Coutto (answering for both): See, performing is one thing and composing is another. When you're writing for films, you have to be clear that it's the director's baby. You are facilitating his vision. Yes, it's your baby at one level, but you're not both the mummy and the daddy.
Datta: The good part about Filmistaan was that the director let me interpret the film my own way. So I never had to break away from my own self, because the music came naturally to me. Plus, the movie had no market pressure as such, so I didn't really have a brief.
Coutto: ...Which by the way isn't the norm, so [singing to the tune of a Daft Punk Song] you got lucky.
Datta: Yeah, and for me, I think very cinematically. Even with my band's songs, if I just change the arrangements a bit, they can be in a film.
Coutto: Also, when most people come to you for work now, they come for what you make. It's not like the old days when it was like, 'Aisa banaa aur waisa banaa.' So you don't have to switch so much, since they want you for you.
Datta: I think there are newer minds. There are newer storytellers with a different language altogether, who go in search of newer sounds, voices and composers.

Sen: So it's not the era of Jatin-Lalit and Anand-Milind anymore?
Datta: No. But they also had their own sound. At that time, Jatin-Lalit were the kings, ya. Of course, they didn't move with the times.
Coutto: Or, the times moved away from them. But they did try. Infact, [Anand-Milind's] Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak is my favourite Hindi film album of all time.

Datta: Yeah, it's my favourite too. It was a complete album. Even the least-remembered song [sings a bar from Kaahe Sataye], even that I remember! So yeah, they did their time; they brought in their sound and gave us memorable tunes. But then our tastes started changing. MTV, Channel V and VH1 came in, and the world suddenly became bigger.

The mains, Asparagus Bacon Fried Rice and Exotic Mushroom Ramen, arrive. This is followed by moments of silence interspersed with appreciative sounds such as 'mmmm'.
Sen: What are some of your favourite places to eat at in Mumbai?
Coutto: Over the past couple of years, I've discovered that Social actually has awesome food. They have a vast variety of things, with small dishes included. Did you know that they have something on the menu called Staff Khaana? It's exactly what their staff eats and it's great, dude. But I don't end up ordering it as much because there are so many more things I like. But they have removed bheja from the menu, and I love bheja.
Datta: I can never have bheja, man.
Sen: So if you go to Bangkok you're never going to try cockroaches and locusts?
Datta: Never. I can't go in that direction. I know that people are adventurous with their food and everything. But I can't do that.
Coutto: For me, when it comes to food, I let my nose guide the way. Otherwise, I have no restrictions.
Datta: I love going to this place called National. It's a dhaba that a Sardar owns and it's been running since 1952, near Bandra Talao. It serves pure food, you know, the sort with less oil — makki roti with butter on top, rajma, bhindi — and you can even have their water and nothing will happen to you.
Coutto [Putting his fork down and rubbing his tummy]: Yeah, I'll go there with you sometime. But right now, I think I'll go home and play some slow blues songs.

In 1996, when lyricist Nitin Raikwar dropped by on the set of Aamir Khan's Ghulam, on the recommendation of actor and filmmaker Neeraj Vora, it was to craft gimmicky dialogues for Khan's next film, Sarfarosh. "They wanted me to write funny shayaris for one of the characters in the film," he says. The shoot was at Sanpada in Navi Mumbai, and due to a technical snag, the crew had plenty of time to kill. "I noticed that Aamir was relatively free at that point, so I went up to him and requested that he give one of the songs I had written a listen. He heard it, and immediately called director Vikram Bhatt. They both thought the song was unusual but nice," recalls Raikwar. That song was Aati Kya Khandala, eventually sung by Khan himself, becoming a number that would make it to every Bambaiyya Hindi song list after.

Nitin Raikwar, sought to capture the mood of Goa. Pic/Satej Shinde

Raikwar went on to continue to use the slang in some of his memorable songs including Apun Bola Tu Meri Laila from Josh (2000), Excuse Me Kya Re from Style (2001) and the iconic Khallas from Ram Gopal Varma's Company (2002). Raikwar has also worked on children's films, and penned lyrics for Chota Chetan (1998), Jajantaram Mamantaram (2003) and others like Pyar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), Aankhein (2002) and Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003). "I think what worked for me at that point was the novelty factor. People dig variety. For instance, we may love our vada pav, but when the burger made an entry in early 2000, we started queuing up for it. It's the same with songs," he says. These days, Raikwar is working on his debut album for which he has collaborated with Shrikant Ahire, one of Maharashtra's foremost shadow dancers. He plans to release a single from it next month. The song is called Khan Sahab Apne Ladke Ko Sambhal. "I thought I'd write in a manner that people identify with. I can't write in a flowery and larger-than-life way. It's not me."

Apun Bola from Josh, which was written by Nitin Raikwar

Writing in tapori language was a skill that Raikwar developed after he moved to Mumbai from Pune in 1987. By then, he had already tried his hand at singing in orchestras, something his father wanted him to do since he was a successful show organiser. "But I didn't see myself singing in orchestras all my life. I was aware of the risk and struggle involved in Bollywood, but I was adamant to make it," he says. With little money to spend, Raikwar's story reads like that of so many others who move to Mumbai from smaller towns to try their luck. "When a man is struggling, he spends time with people who are like him. So I would sit at chai tapris and talk to rickshawallas, drivers and daily wage labourers. Because I'm talkative and an extrovert by nature, I could strike up a conversation with just about anyone. That's how I picked up the slang," he says. Even when he didn't have projects, Raikwar would write and seek feedback from his friends, some of whom were already working in the film industry as supporting actors. And it's through their assistance that he finally met Anil Kapoor on the sets of Ladla. "I consider that the turning point in my life.

Anil Kapoor felt I had potential and introduced me to directors and filmmakers," he says. Raikwar's first song was Teri Tirchi Nazar Main Hai Jaadoo for Anil Kapoor-starrer Loafer in 1996. But it was Aati Kya Khandala that earned him fame like no other. In fact, it helped him bag a Shah Rukh Khan film soon after. "I remember writing Apun Bola in 15 minutes after I heard the script. I wanted it to reflect Goan culture so I included words like kokum curry. You'll also find words like 'hoinga' and 'karenga', just the way a Catholic aunty would say them," he says.

In 2014, Raikwar had to put all work on the backburner for two years due to an illness. It began with bouts of headache, and he was later diagnosed with subdural hematoma of the brain. "The clots had to be removed through surgery. For a long time, I couldn't work because of the illness. I'm fine now, and hope to get back to what I do best," he says.

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Ojas Adhiya, Nandini Shankar and Abhishek Borkar are poised to strike a chord with young urban listeners in Mumbai

For most youngsters, unfamiliar with Hindustani classical music, 'serious', 'formal' and 'boring' are popular adjectives used to define the genre. For as long as we can remember, Hindustani classical, that has given the world several legends, has been performed in sprawling auditoriums — there's not just discipline in the music, but in the attire and in environment as a whole. How would it be then, to see classical being performed in casuals? Turns out, that's not an outrageous thought anymore. First Edition Arts, a Mumbai-based performing arts company is poised to topple status quo with the sole aim of gathering more young, urban listeners. Under a musical series called Come Together, three young Hindustani classical musicians, will slip into casuals and perform for an audience gathered at Cafe Zoe. Starting June 10, this will be a regular series, one in every quarter. While the setting is all-new, the music won't take the fusion route. The first series will feature Abhishek Borkar on the sarod, Nandini Shankar on the violin and Ojas Adhiya on the tabla. The trio will present an instrumental concert in both solo and duet sets.

Catch them young
"When younger musicians try to strike a rapport with young listeners they take the fusion route. We are saying, you don't have to. This music is so exciting on its own, that the young can be hooked," says Devina Dutt, director, First Edition Arts. Six months ago, they had organised something similar at antiSOCIAL at Khar as an experiment, and they were sold out. "We weren't sure of what to expect. But it was a success." That gave them the impetus to take the idea on a larger scale. "The first two sets will be the sarod and tabla. In the third set, Abhishek will invite Nandini to jam with them on stage. The concert will span a little over an hour — not the standard two-and-a-half-hour performance. Young people haven't even heard classical music and they have discarded it. All we are trying to do, is give them a sense of how exciting and rigorous it is. But, in a short dose," Dutt says.

Abhishek Borkar

The protocols will be relaxed too. The bar will be open before and after the concert, and for 20 minutes during the interval. Food and drink services will be terminated during the performance, but, once served, guests can continue with their meal at their tables. "There was no sense in locating it in a space like this and sticking to the rigidity. But, at the same time the character of the music does require attention, it's not the kind that you can hear in the background," she adds.

Break the rules
Ever since the posters of the concert went out, a lot of Shankar's friends and followers on social media have shown interest. The posters, with their vibrant colours and friendly fonts, could well be mistaken for one for a standup gig. "Any new genre is an acquired taste. Over the last couple of years, I have noticed an increase in my young audience. Young listeners are always looking for something new and because most of them have not heard classical music, it is novel to them. If they are exposed to it, they will enjoy it," says the eighth generation violinist. The set-up, she believes, needs to change because "it is important that it appeals to you at first go. That's why the colourful posters. We need to speak the language they understand," adds the 25-year-old. After the concert, the audience can interact with the artists as well. "The milieu becomes more relatable, it's like hanging out with friends. That becomes easier when the age groups are similar. We want to connect on a personal level. In fact, that's the bit I am really looking forward to," adds Shankar.

Nandini Shankar

Tabla ace Adhiya would love to do a Q & A with the audience as well. "That way we can reach out to them and explain what classical music is all about. If they know a few things, they can enjoy it more. And it will all be done in an informal manner," says the 30-year-old who made it to the Limca Book of World Records as the youngest tabla player at the age of 4. Borkar points out that traditionally, Hindustani classical has always been somewhat "intimidating".

"It can appear too proper, rigid and posh, with its sherwanis and bandhgalas. Sometimes I feel even the artists themselves enjoy this air of exclusivity that further distances them from the audience," says the 25-year-old sarod player, adding that he was thrilled about the prospect of performing in casuals. "That's what I wear when I practice or record in a studio. So, why not at a concert? We are even thinking of getting some people to sit on stage if possible," he adds.

Distraction not a concern
The trio believes that the music will be enough to keep people from getting distracted. "It's a new thing for them too, to experience this kind of music in the given setup. And if someone is quietly eating and drinking at their table, that should not bother me. In the olden days, there would be baithaks in people's homes, where classical concerts would be performed. It's the same concept," Adhiya says. Spontaneity will be the key on D-day; the artists will reach the venue, gauge the crowd and accordingly choose the raagas. Borkar says, "I love getting people interested in an instrument they have not seen or heard before. The idea is that if they don't come to our concerts, why don't we go where they hang out? And just because it's unusual that doesn't mean it's wrong."

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The OECD has published new transfer pricing country profiles for Australia, China, Estonia, France, Georgia, Hungary, India, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Uruguay, bringing the number of such overviews published by the OECD to 44.

Bollywood actor Athiya Shetty seems to have found the perfect day to make her relationship with India cricketer KL Rahul official on social media as he turned 28 on Saturday. She shared the picture with her 2.3 million Instagram followers along with a white heart emoji and wrote: "Happy birthday, my person. @rahulkl." To which, Rahul replied with three heart emojis.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

happy birthday, my person ðŸ¤Â @rahulkl

A post shared by Athiya Shetty (@athiyashetty) onApr 18, 2020 at 12:59am PDT

Rahul's friend Hardik Pandya commented: "Hay," while tennis star Sania Mirza wrote: "Awee" along with two heart emojis.

Rumours about them seeing each other began last year after the cricketer posted an adorable picture, recreating a scene of Athiya's dad Suneil Shetty's film, Hera Pheri and captioned it: "Hello, Devi Prasad?"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Hello, devi prasad....?

A post shared by KL Rahul👑 (@rahulkl) onDec 27, 2019 at 10:15pm PST

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Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has welcomed PCBs decision to ban Umar Akmal on corruption charges, saying the batsman has officially made it to the "list of idiots" and that people like him should be put in jail.

Umar has been banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board from all forms of cricket for three years after pleading guilty to failing to report match-fixing approaches.

"So, Umar Akmal officially makes it to the list of idiots! Banned for three years. What a waste of a talent! It's high time that Pakistan moved towards passing a legislative law against match fixing. Behind bars is where such jack a**** belong! Otherwise brave for more!!" Raza said in a tweet.

PCB informed about the ban imposed on Akmal on Monday on Twitter and said: "Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan."

Umar, who has played 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is for Pakistan, had earlier stated in an interview that he was offered money to skip matches against India. He had also revealed that he was asked to leave two deliveries in a match by the bookies.

"I was once offered $200,000 for leaving two deliveries. I was also offered to skip matches against India," Akmal was quoted as saying by GeoTv.

Umar's brother Kamran reacted to the three-year ban, saying that he was shocked to hear the decision.

"We will reach out to every platform for justice and will definitely exercise our right to appeal," Kamran was quoted as saying by GeoTv, adding that there are instances when punishments of lower degrees were allotted for similar charges.

"It is incomprehensible that why Umar Akmal is penalised so severely," he objected, adding that a detailed decision is awaited in this regard.

Umar had not requested for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal after he was charged for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents.

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In a startling revelation, India speedster Mohammed Shami has claimed that he thought of committing suicide thrice while battling personal issues a few years ago, forcing his family to keep a watch over him at all times. He said his family members feared he "might jump" from their 24th floor apartment. Shami, one of India's leading bowlers in recent years, opened up on his personal and professional life during an Instagram chat with teammate and limited overs squads' vice-captain Rohit Sharma.

"I think if my family had not supported me back then I would have lost my cricket. I thought of committing suicide three times during that period due to severe stress and personal problems," Shami revealed during the session on Saturday. Now one of the mainstays of Indian bowling attack across formats, the 29-year-old was struggling to focus on his cricket, then. "I was not thinking about cricket at all. We were living on the 24th floor. They (family) were scared I might jump from the balcony. My brother supported me a lot.

"My 2-3 friends used to stay with me for 24 hours. My parents asked me to focus on cricket to recover from that phase and not think about anything else. I started training then and sweated it out a lot at an academy in Dehradun," Shami said. In March 2018, Shami's wife Hasin Jahan had accused him of domestic violence and lodged a complaint with the police, following which the India player and his brother were booked under relevant sections. The upheaval in his personal life forced his employer BCCI to withheld the player's central contracts for a while.

"Rehab was stressful as the same exercises are repeated every day. Then family problems started and I also suffered an accident. The accident happened 10-12 days ahead of the IPL and my personal problems were running high in the media," Shami told Rohit. Shami said his family stood like a rock with him and the support helped him get back on his feet.

"Then my family explained that every problem has a solution no matter how big the problem. My brother supported me a lot." Speaking about another painful period in his life after his injury in the 2015 World Cup, Shami said it took him almost 18 months to get back on the field. "When I got injured in the 2015 World Cup, after that it took me 18 months to fully recover, that was the most painful moment in my life, it was a very stressful period."

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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has fired his special aide on I&B and replaced her with a powerful former military spokesman as he revamped his media team for the second time since coming to power amid mounting criticism for failing to address key issues including the COVID-19 outbreak.

Former Army spokesman Lt Gen (retied) Asim Saleem Bajwa, who is also the chairman of the newly created China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority, has replaced Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as the Special Assistant to the PM for information and broadcasting (I&B).

PM Khan also appointed Senator Shibli Faraz as the new information minister. Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry announced the new appointments. The changes were made to blunt the perception that the government's media handling was not good and its work was not being properly highlighted amid the health crisis.

"The way these changes have been made will not give a good impression and help the cause of the government," analyst Ayaz Amir told Dunya TV. Pakistan has 14,079 COVID-19 cases so far.

301
No. of COVID-19 deaths in Pakistan

Now, Beijing to shut COVID-19 hospital

Authorities in Beijing are set to close a COVID-19 special hospital, Xiaotangshan Hospital, after clearing all the cases even as China reported six new infections and 40 fresh asymptomatic cases on Tuesday. The move comes days after Wuhan closed 16 temporary hospitals and discharged its last patient on Sunday.

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[Source: Research & Innovation] An EU-funded consortium is developing advanced X-ray and 3D imaging technologies to enable European miners to extract essential metal and mineral resources more efficiently and sustainably.

[Source: Research & Innovation] Polymer Comply Europe (PCE) is pleased to announce its next live webinar on the polynSPIRE project “Demonstration of innovative technologies towards a more efficient and sustainable plastic recycling”, organised on behalf of European Plastics Converters (EuPC) and the polynSPIRE project. The live webinar will focus on recycling and redesigning the plastics value chain are essential in reusing plastic waste material and avoiding landfill. Webinar agenda: Welcome & Introduction About CIRCE The polynSPIRE project: goals, challenges and progress Questions & Answers Closing

India's Central Board of Direct Taxes has launched a consultation on changes to the country's tax ruling process and forms to enable the country to exchange information on tax rulings with other countries' tax authorities, as proposed by the OECD in its base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project.

The Dutch Government has confirmed that a registry of ultimate beneficial owners of companies will enter into force in the Netherlands from January 2020.

Share markets in India are presently trading on a positive note. Benchmark indices advanced today tracking firm global cues.

Further, talks of an economic stimulus for small businesses battered by the coronavirus outbreak improved sentiment.

Reportedly, the government may unveil fiscal stimulus amounting to 0.3% of the country's gross domestic product, focusing on small and medium sized businesses, real estate firms and banks.

The BSE Sensex is trading up by 524 points while the NSE Nifty is trading up by 146 points.

The BSE Mid Cap index and the BSE Small Cap index are trading up by 0.9% and 0.7%, respectively.

Sectoral indices are trading mixed with stocks in the energy sector and telecom sector witnessing buying interest, while power stocks are witnessing selling pressure.

The rupee is currently trading at 75.44 against the US$.

Gold prices are currently trading down by 0.1% at Rs 46,134.

Speaking of the current stock market scenario, after a sharp rally in the past few weeks, the markets have turned volatile again.

You would be interested in knowing when the market will likely bottom out.

Vijay Bhambwani, editor of Weekly Cash Alerts, has the answer and he has recorded a video about it.

You can check the same here - This is When the Stock Market Will Bottom Out

Moving on, market participants are tracking Shree Cement share price, TCI Express share price, and SBI Cards and Payment Services share price as these companies are scheduled to announce their March quarter results (Q4FY20) later today.

You can read our recently released Q4FY20 results of other companies here: Ambuja Cement, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, Tech Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Marico, Kansai Nerolac, NIIT Technologies, Persistent Systems, SKF India.

In news from the banking sector, public sector banks (PSBs) sanctioned loans worth Rs 5.66 lakh crore for the March-April period to 41.81 lakh accounts, according to the finance ministry.

The borrowers represented the micro small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), retail, agriculture and corporate sectors.

Reportedly, PSB loans amounting to Rs 265 billion have been sanctioned in 2.37 lakh cases for MSMEs.

This is part of the PSB initiative to prioritise pre-approved emergency credit lines and enhanced working capital requirements to the sector.

Meanwhile, PSBs sanctioned loans worth Rs 773.8 billion to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs) between March 1 and May 4.

Including the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) targeted long term repo operations (TLTRO) window, PSBs extended Rs 1.08 lakh crore of financing to ensure business stability and continuity.

The finance ministry said that the three-month loan moratorium facility announced by the RBI has been availed by 3.2 crore PSB accounts.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Indian economy is poised to recover from the recent crisis brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic with PSB sanctioning loans worth Rs 5.66 lakh crore in just two months.

Speaking of the banking sector, the low access to credit for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) tells us there is a huge opportunity for lenders.

This is evident from the chart below:

India's Huge Lending Opportunity

Of the 60 million MSMEs in India, only 11% had access to credit from organised lenders. Most of them are self-financed or get credit from unorganised sources.

Here's what Tanushree Banerjee wrote about this in one of the editions of The 5 Minute WrapUp...

• Self-financing limits the growth of these MSMEs. On the other hand, high interest rates from unorganised sources makes it difficult for them to earn profits.
  
  The Modi government is looking at various ways to correct this problem. Mudra loans, online loans facilities are being made available to MSMEs.
  
  Slowly but surely, lenders are sensing the huge opportunity that lies ahead for this sector.
  
  Banks and other financial firms with prudent lending practices and strong distribution networks will benefit from this megatrend.

Tanushree is counting on 7 top stocks from the Indian stock market that will benefit from this megatrend.

As per her, now is the right time to buy these stocks to profit from the Rebirth of India. You can read about them here.

Moving on to news from the FMCG sector, shares of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) rose 4% today after institutional investors bought stake in the company via open market on Thursday.

The NSE bulk deal data showed that foreign portfolio investor Societe Generale, a French multinational investment bank and financial services company, bought 129 million shares of HUL at an average price of Rs 1,902.

UK-based Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) offloaded its stake in HUL via block deals, yesterday.

According to the term sheet, over 133 million shares were offered in the range of Rs 1,850-1,950 to investors through a special block window.

The deal is valued roughly between Rs 246 billion to Rs 259 billion.

Note that last week, HUL reported a 7% decline in volumes in Q4FY20. The company's profit before tax fell 10.6% to Rs 19.9 billion, while net profit declined 1.2% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 15.2 billion.

HUL share price is presently trading up by 3%.

To know more about the company, you can HUL's latest result analysis on our website.

And to know what's moving the Indian stock markets today, check out the most recent share market updates here.

ICICI SECURITIES LTD share price has plunged 5% and is presently trading at Rs 429.

Meanwhile, the BSE 500 Index is at 12,146 (up 0.5%).

Among the top losers in the BSE 500 Index today are ICICI SECURITIES LTD (down 5.3%) and TIMKEN INDIA (down 5.3%).

E.I.D. PARRY (up 9.9%) and TV18 BROADCAST (up 6.6%) are among the top gainers today.

Over the last one year, ICICI SECURITIES LTD has moved up from Rs 220 to Rs 429, registering a gain of Rs 209 (up 95.1%)..

The BSE 500 has moved down from 14,958 to 12,146, loss of 2,812 points (down 18.8%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE 500 Index stocks during this same period were ADANI GREEN ENERGY (up 433.0%), ABBOTT INDIA (up 143.0%) and NAVIN FLUORINE (up 111.0%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 0.7%). The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are HUL (up 4.5%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are ICICI BANK and RELIANCE IND..

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 0.7%). HUL (up 4.6%) and DR. REDDYS LAB (up 4.0%) are among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 17.27%).

ICICI SECURITIES LTD share price has plunged 5% and is presently trading at Rs 429.

Meanwhile, the BSE 500 Index is at 12,146 (up 0.5%).

Among the top losers in the BSE 500 Index today are ICICI SECURITIES LTD (down 5.0%) and TIMKEN INDIA (down 5.1%).

E.I.D. PARRY (up 10.0%) and TV18 BROADCAST (up 6.3%) are among the top gainers today.

Over the last one year, ICICI SECURITIES LTD has moved up from Rs 220 to Rs 429, registering a gain of Rs 209 (up 95.1%)..

The BSE 500 has moved down from 14,958 to 12,146, loss of 2,812 points (down 18.8%) during the last 12 months.

The top gainers among the BSE 500 Index stocks during this same period were ADANI GREEN ENERGY (up 431.1%), ABBOTT INDIA (up 142.5%) and NAVIN FLUORINE (up 111.5%).

What About the Benchmark Indices?

The BSE Sensex is at 32,089 (up 0.6%). The top gainers among the BSE Sensex stocks today are HUL (up 5.1%). The most traded stocks in the BSE Sensex are ICICI BANK and RELIANCE IND..

In the meantime, NSE Nifty is at 9,383 (up 0.6%). HUL (up 5.1%) and DR. REDDYS LAB (up 3.9%) are among the top gainers in NSE Nifty.

Over the last 12 months, the BSE Sensex has moved down from 38,277 to 32,089, registering a loss of 6,188 points (down 17.32%).

The OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z earphones come with a magnetic stripe on the earbuds that pause music when attached.

For the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2020, ICICI Bank reported a 26 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 1,221 crore compared to Rs 969 crore a year ago

ICICI Bank's board also approved issuances of bonds/notes/offshore Certificate of Deposits in overseas markets up to $3 billion in single or multiple tranches for a period of one year

The European Commission has invited comments on commitments offered by fifteen container liner shipping companies to address concerns raised relating to concerted practices.

Dalal Street expects ICICI Bank to report healthy earnings in Q4

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore on February 23, 2018, released the fifth edition of its Transfer Pricing Guidelines for income tax.

Nearly three quarters of the sample reported having been "humorously" accused of promoting death; for example, being called "Dr. Death," in a recent survey of palliative care medicine practitioners.

An official said that the people of Myanmar can now get access to quality treatment and latest medical technology in India with the Apollo Group of Hospitals

In 2015, as many as 15,867 cases of dengue were reported in Delhi. A case of dengue has been reported from Okhla area of the national capital, reported an official.

Releasing mosquitoes infected with a type of bacteria could wipe out the spread of dengue, thereby reducing global dengue cases by 90 percent, reports a new study.

Highlights: Physical activity helps reduce depressive symptoms in postmenopausal women Postmenopausal w

The European Commission has released a paper recommending improvements to France's "inefficient" value-added tax system, including that the country do away with broadly applying reduced VAT rates.

On February 3, 2018, China's State Administration of Taxation set out new rules on the disallowance of tax treaty benefits where an entity fails to demonstrate it is the beneficial owner of Chinese assets from which passive income is derived.

The OECD has published new transfer pricing country profiles for Australia, China, Estonia, France, Georgia, Hungary, India, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Uruguay, bringing the number of such overviews published by the OECD to 44.

An investigational drug vericiguat offers new hope for patients with worsening heart failure, reports a new study. Patients with worsening heart failure

Malta's Minister for Finance, Edward Scicluna, told delegates to a recent law conference at the Old University in Valletta that beneficial ownership regulations will be published in the coming weeks.

The number of advance pricing agreements between EU member states and companies rose by 64 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to research by Eurodad.

The US Internal Revenue Services has released its annual report on the number of advance pricing agreements and applications and made during the 2017 calendar year.

Highlights: A sensor based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been developed The sensor can inst

Highlights : Coronavirus cases have crossed over 50,000 in India, despite being under strict lockdown Social distanc

More than 20 jurisdictions have signed up to a pilot project to exchange data held on beneficial ownership registers and registers of trusts, according to UK Chancellor George Osborne.

Australia's Federal Court issued a decision in favor of mining company Glencore on September 3, 2019. The case centered on whether dealings between Swiss parent Glencore International AG and an Australian subsidiary breached transfer pricing rules in relation to the sale and purchase of copper concentrate in the 2007-09 years.

Ireland has released a responses document on an ongoing consultation on an update to the country's transfer pricing rules.

Officials from the Abu Dhabi Global Market, a free zone in the United Arab Emirates, and the Abu Dhabi Exchange recently visited Shanghai, China, to meet with representatives of key Chinese financial authorities and institutions.

Caribbean territory Aruba has released instructions on the completion of transfer pricing documentation and released model templates for completion.

Highlights: On behalf of ISPEN 2019, Medindia interviewed Dr. Esther Myers on her work in the implementation o

On April 16, 2020, the United States Internal Revenue Service issued a set of frequently asked questions and answers to help inform taxpayers about transfer pricing documentation best practices.

Artificial sweetener sucralose doesnt have any negative impact on its own, but when consumed with a carbohydrate, it induces harmful changes in insulin

A new cell volume regulator in sperm cells that plays a key role in maintaining their shape and fertility has been uncovered by researchers at the University of Tsukuba and Cornell University.