Jacqueline Fernandez has stumbled upon life-altering realisations amid the ongoing lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The actress says she has realised that life is too short, and it is important to make the most of the time we have in our hands.

"Honestly, the biggest lesson has been that when it comes to humankind we are pretty irrelevant, which means that we are extremely blessed to be on this planet because the planet would go on with us or without us. So, we have to be grateful and give back. That's the realisation -- we take Earth for granted," Jacqueline said, while reflecting upon how the lockdown has been a learning period for her.

"(Another lesson is that) life is short. We need to be doing things that we enjoy doing and love. We should be spending time with the people we love because you are here one day and gone the next. We really have to make the most out of life. It is such a lesson. These are the two main things I have realised during this period," added the actress, who is spending her lockdown with superstar Salman Khan and others at his farmhouse in Panvel.

Amid the shutdown, she is making the most of her time by enjoying moments like horse-riding, basking in the sun and reading a book -- evident in her recent Instagram posts.

On the work front, she was recently seen in "Mrs. Serial Killer", which released on Netflix on May 1. "Mrs. Serial Killer" is directed by Shirish Kunder and produced by his filmmaker wife Farah Khan. The thriller is about a wife, whose husband has been framed and imprisoned for serial murders. She needs to perform a murder exactly like the serial killer, to prove that her husband is innocent.

The film hinges on the question -- how far would you go for love.

Asked how far she would go for the people she loves, Jacqueline said: "I always think that when it comes to people you love, you kind of throw logic out of the window. But I am someone who is all about making sure that you are doing the right thing.

"It has to be the right thing. I always try to put that into perspective. If I feel a right thing is being done, then I will probably go to whatever extent I need to. I would never harm anyone though for love. I would do anything for love except harm anyone," said the actress, who won Miss Sri Lanka beauty pageant in 2006.

She made her debut in the Indian film industry with 2009 film "Aladin" opposite actor Riteish Deshmukh. The film turned out to be a dud at the box office, but Jacqueline got noticed and went on to do films like "Housefull 2", "Murder 2", "Kick", "Brothers", "Dishoom" and "Judwaa 2". "Mrs. Serial Killer" also stars Manoj Bajpayee and Mohit Raina.

Recalling the experience of working on the thriller, Jacqueline said: "It was great. They were so patient, kind and very supportive. There was a beautiful sense of unity and teamwork, and you learn so much from working with such amazing actors. It was really a beautiful experience."

Now, she is looking forward to the release of the song "Tere bina" with Salman, which they have shot amid the lockdown in the farm premises itself.

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Actor Jake Gyllenhaal says he has become less interested in work and more interested in personal life, adding that he hopes to have kids in the future.

In an interview with British Vogue, the actor, who has been part of showbiz since the last two decades, shared that he is now ready to focus on his personal life, reports etonline.com.

"I'm interested in my life, even more so than my work. I've reached a point in my career where I feel hungry in a different way," said Gyllenhaal, adding: "I've seen how much of my life I've neglected as a result of being committed to that work and that idea."

"(I've) lightened up. Seeing life as something that is, you know, fleeting, and the world being as it is now. I've turned to my family, I've turned to my friends and I've turned to love. I'm a little less interested in the work, I would say, and more interested in that," said the 39-year-old star, known for starring in movies like "Donnie Darko", "Brokeback Mountain", "Nightcrawler" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home".

Gyllenhaal, who has been romantically linked to French model Jeanne Cadieu in the past few years, shared that he "definitely" sees kids in his future.

"Yes, of course I do. I definitely do," he said, adding: "The act of making love to make a child…the real thing is life. You get to the end of the show and that's what it's about. Children. Children and art."

He continued: "I'm not someone who has ever existed in a space where I've really known what's coming next. But you do have to be open to it. And there has been no other time in my life that I can safely say…. My mother and my sister are some of the most extraordinary people I know. Our vulnerability with each other, our ability to communicate about how tough times can be is what I'm most proud of in my family. For everything I hope to pass on, that's the most important."

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Actress Mackenzie Foy found a friend in her "The Nutcracker And The Four Realms" co-star Keira Knightley, and says she is a nice and down-to-earth person. "Keira is just amazing. I've really enjoyed working with her. She is such a nice, down to earth person. You can literally talk to her about anything and she would just listen and be a good friend," Foy said.

Asked about her favourite moment working with her, Foy said: "I don't know. We have spent a lot of time together but I think pretty much when we could just relax on the set and we could just sit and talk about nonsense. It was really fun just to get to know her."

"The Nutcracker And The Four Realms" is the retelling of ETA Hoffmann''s short story "The Nutcracker And The Mouse King" and Marius Petipa's and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker". It's a story of a young girl who gets a locked egg as a gift from her deceased mother, and narrates her magical journey to get the key for the egg.

"The Nutcracker And The Four Realms" will air in India on Star Movies on May 10.

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As the nation celebrates the indomitable spirit of motherhood on Sunday, Bollywood celebrities also dedicated heart-warming messages to their mom's on the occasion of Mother's Day."

Sara Ali Khan shared a heart-melting throwback picture where she is seen as an infant in the arms of her grandmother while her mother is looking at baby Sara in a moment of affection. The actor captioned the post as, "Meri Maa ki Maa. Thank you for creating Mommy. #HappyMothersDay."

 

 

 

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Meri Maa ki Maa 💁🏻‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ¤°ðŸ¤±ðŸ»ðŸ™‡ðŸ»‍♀ï¸Â Thank you for creating Mommy 💝🙏🏻👩‍👧‍👧🐣🐥🐤 #HappyMothersDay

A post shared by Sara Ali Khan (@saraalikhan95) onMay 9, 2020 at 11:45am PDT

Vicky Kaushal put out a childhood throwback picture on Instagram where the actor is seen caught in a moment of mischief as he jogs at the shore of a beach, while his mother is seen scolding him. Along with the picture Vicky wrote," Dodging them till date. Keep them coming Maa. Love you! 

 

 

 

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Dodging them till date. Keep them coming Maa. Love you! ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09) onMay 9, 2020 at 5:40pm PDT

Ananya Panday shared an adorable video from her childhood days where she is seen sporting a while kurta-churidar with a red dotted dupatta. The video initiates with a question by a person behind the camera who asks, "Whom do you love the most in the world?"

 

 

 

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it’s clear where I get my crazy from 😜 happy Mama’s day to my Mama and all the beautiful mama’s out there ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday) onMay 9, 2020 at 12:15pm PDT

To which baby Ananya innocently replies, "Mama."

And he asks, "And the second?"

She smilingly replies, "Nobody."

 

 

 

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The answer is still the same 😜 love u @bhavanapandey ❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Ananya 💛💫 (@ananyapanday) onMay 9, 2020 at 12:16pm PDT

Along with the caption she wrote, "The answer is still the same. love u @bhavanapandey."

Recalling his childhood moments spent with her mom, Ishaan Khatter shared a couple of throwback pictures with his mom in an Instagram post.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Mom for president ✌🏼

A post shared by Ishaan (@ishaankhatter) onMay 9, 2020 at 1:16pm PDT

The special post featured 3 pictures of which the first one shows baby Ishaan lying in bed while his mother is seen pecking a kiss on his little arms. The second one shows his mom in a glamorous monochromatic picture, and the third one shows baby Ishaan in his childhood days, where he is seen sitting in his mother's lap and passing a smile at the camera.Along with the post he wrote, "Mom for president."

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On the occasion of Mother's Day, veteran actor Hema Malini shared a priceless throwback pictures of herself with her mom and daughters, saying its a "day for us to recall with love and gratitude all that our mothers have done for us."

The 71-year-old actor took a walk down the memory lane when she shared a monochromatic picture featuring herself and her mom on Twitter. In the picture, the evergreen star is seen sporting traditional Bharatanatyam attire and is seen affectionately hugging her mother.

It is Mother’s Day! A day for us to recall with love & gratitude all that our mothers have done for us🙏Also a day for us to celebrate our status as mothers & grandmothers & look back proudly at the years passed in bringing our kids.This is a treasured file photo of me & my mom😘 pic.twitter.com/6kzw31pABk

— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) May 10, 2020

Along with the picture she wrote," It is Mother's Day! A day for us to recall with love & gratitude all that our mothers have done for us. Also, a day for us to celebrate our status as mothers & grandmothers & look back proudly at the years passed in bringing our kids. This is a treasured file photo of me & my mom."

The 'Sholay' star also shared some 'glimpses from the past' where she showcased the three generations including herself, her mom and daughters Esha and Ayana Deol in a Twitter post.

Glimpses of the past pic.twitter.com/iKYOXwjnIT

— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) May 10, 2020

The post included three pictures, the first one features Esha and Ahana in their childhood days with their mom Hema. While the second features the 'Baghban' star with her mom and the third one captures Hema's mom and the actor herself who is seen holding baby Esha by her arms.

Daughter Esha was quick to note the special post and commented, "Love u my mamma" (along with a heart and hugging emoticon).

Meanwhile, scores of Bollywood celebrities including Sara Ali Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Ishaan Khatter and others extended Mother's Day wishes to their moms by posting throwback pictures and videos on social media.

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Kriti Sanon has given a shoutout on social media to all the 'wonder women' who are balancing their roles as mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, and employees. The actor has reminded them that 'me-time' is also necessary. "Let's indulge in the things that bring us joy," she stated on Insta. "Womanhood must be celebrated without compromise," she added. Later, sister Nupur took to social media and wrote that the Sanon women, including mother Geeta and pet dog Phoebe, 'are kind of dominating'. They certainly know how to get what they want. Some life lessons during the lockdown.

For all those who think women are not less than Superheroes, this video is a must-watch and much-needed. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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In the current scenario, with all of us cooped up at home - here is my shout out to all the wonder women out there. 🙋‍♀️ As we get through our responsibilities as mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, employees - let's not compromise with some 'me time'. Let's indulge in the things that bring us joy! 🌸 @vivelbyitc and I take a stand for the philosophy of #AbSamjhautaNahin and believe that womanhood must be celebrated without compromise. Hope you do too!

A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) onMay 8, 2020 at 3:16am PDT

All the fans of Sanon will surely be happy and elated to see this video that finally puts the women in the spotlight and allows them to have their moment of glory. They truly are the unsung heroes that ought to be celebrated a lot more. Coming to Sanon again, she had a wonderful 2019 with the success of Luka Chuppi and Housefull 4.

And now, she's gearing up for another biggie, Bachchan Pandey with Akshay Kumar that's being helmed by Farhad Samji. It's slated to release on January 22, 2021!

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Russian tennis beauty Maria Sharapova shared her choice of a perfect playlist meant for a road trip, with her four million Instagram followers recently. To beat boredom caused by the lockdown, Maria zipped passed the beautiful locales of California with some of American Bruce Springsteen's greatest hits playing on her car stereo.

She shared a few pictures and a video of her trip on Instagram and wrote: "Road trip with Bruce Springsteen for the mood."

 

 

 

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Road trip 🧳 with Bruce Springsteen for the mood 🎼👌🏼

A post shared by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) onMay 5, 2020 at 4:54pm PDT

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In the fight against COVID-19, Uber has extended support by offering free rides to frontline BMC healthcare workers and non-COVID patients in Mumbai through its recently launched UberMedic service.

All UberMedic cars are fitted with a roof-to-floor plastic sheeting enclosing the driver. Additionally, all drivers are being trained in safety procedures and provided with personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, sanitisers and disinfectants to sanitise the cars between rides.

The agreement is part of Uber’s recent offer to provide free rides worth Rs 1 crore to the Maharashtra government. Prabhjeet Singh, Director, Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia, said, “The BMC has been working tirelessly to contain the spread of COVID-19. We feel privileged to be supporting them in these challenging times and will help move what matters by leveraging our global experience, technology and network of drivers.”

Uber’s recently launched UberMedic service has been transporting frontline medical workers in 35+ hospitals across 23 Indian cities.

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I just remembered my absolutely ouch! Irrfan moment, that makes me cringe each time I recall it. One of the relatively early big film programmes I curated was Made by Women, an international women's film festival, way back in 2004. We screened great films, mostly 35mm prints, directed by women filmmakers from all over the world. They ranged from Marziyeh Meshkiny's The Day I Became a Woman (Iran), Anne Fontaine's How I Killed My Father (France) to Ligy Pullappally's Sancharram (India) and Joan Gratz's Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase (animation, USA). We opened with Aparna Sen's beloved classic 36 Chowringhee Lane at the YB Chavan Centre (remember it?). Bishakha Datta, who heads Point of View, a non-profit that amplifies women's voices and had organised the event, was Festival Director.

Sen had flown in for the inauguration from Kolkata, ever elegant. Irfan Khan (the second 'r' hadn't rolled in yet) had very kindly agreed to be special guest at the inaugural. A huge crowd had turned up, and we let them in. My colleagues escorted Sen in, while I remained outside waiting for Irfan, who unfortunately had been held up in traffic, and arrived later than planned. When I escorted him in, the hall was pitch dark. I realised to my horror, that Sen had inaugurated the festival alone and, as the crowd had got restless, the screening had begun. Eeks! I apologised profusely to Irfan, and escorted him to the reserved VIP row, only to find that the enthu crowd had ripped the 'reserved' seat signs and occupied every seat in the house; many were even sitting in the aisles.

Crouching and whispering, I cravenly begged a series of people in the audience to give up their seat for Irfan, but they were engrossed in the film. Seeing I was in big trouble, Irfan graciously whispered, "Don't worry, Meenakshi, I'll sit on the carpet." "No, NO! Please give me a moment," I yelped. Finally, I managed to persuade someone to give up his seat for Irfan in the front row. Double eeks! From there, Irfan watched 36 Chowringhee Lane, at a 60 degree angle. Life-long, I could never live down the humiliation of being unable to treat Irfan as the star he truly was. But, Irfan was so incredibly decent about it—which made me feel even worse. He quietly vanished as the film ended, and when I phoned him to apologise, he gently brushed aside my apology and discussed what a marvellous film it was.

The episode taught me two things: if you show a great Indian film for the inaugural of an international film festival, the public will come, even if it is a 20-year-old film. Second, a great film can turn even a star into a fan. Yet, I can think of no other star who would behave with such extraordinary humility and grace, as Irfan did that evening. The festival was a great success in Mumbai, and did an all-India tour of eight cities in 2004. In fact, I curated another edition of Made by Women in 2005, with an all-India tour as well.

Adieu, Irrfan!

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist. Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com

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US employers have cut a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April amid the COVID-19 pandemic, erasing a decade of job gains since the global financial crisis and pushing the unemployment rate to a record 14.7 per cent, which is the highest level since the Great Depression.

In April, the unemployment rate surged by 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 per cent, the largest over-the-month increase in the history of the series dating back to January 1948, the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said in a report.

Since mid-March, numerous US states have rolled out "stay-at-home" policies and shut down non-essential businesses in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, leading companies to cut millions of jobs in weeks.

Employment in leisure and hospitality plummeted by 7.7 million, or 47 per cent, the report showed. The manufacturing sector shed 1.3 million workers, and employment in retail trade was down 2.1 million jobs.

The education and health sector lost 2.5 million jobs. Government employment also dropped by 9,80,000 in April, according to the bureau. Hispanics and African-Americans have been hit the hardest in the job crisis, said the BLS report. President Donald Trump said that with the reopening of the economy, lost jobs will come back.

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A two-week course of antiviral therapy that combines the power of three drugs has shown promise in treating hospitalised patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in a carefully undertaken phase 2 clinical trial.

The results of the trial, published in the journal The Lancet, involved 127 adults from six public hospitals in Hong Kong.

The drug combination tested in the trial included interferon beta-1b, which was developed to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), and lopinavir-ritonavir, which is normally used to treat HIV and ribavirin, an oral hepatitis C virus drug.

The findings of the phase two trial provided evidence that early treatment with triple antiviral therapy alongside standard care is safe and shortens duration of viral shedding (when the virus is detectable and potentially transmissible) compared to lopinavir-ritonavir alone—average seven days vs 12 days—in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

"Our trial demonstrates that early treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 with a triple combination of antiviral drugs may rapidly suppress the amount of virus in a patient's body, relieve symptoms, and reduce the risk to healthcare workers by reducing the duration and quantity of viral shedding," said professor Kwok-Yung Yuen from the University of Hong Kong who led the research.

No new cases in Hong Kong as restrictions ease

Hong Kong recorded no new COVID-19 case on Saturday, a day after the city eased restrictions. Saturday was also the 20th day in a row with no local infections. Health experts earlier suggested that Hong Kong could be considered to be free of local transmission if there were no such cases after 28 days.

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Ex-Matka king Ratan Khatri died on Saturday morning in Mumbai. According to sources, Khatri, 88, was ailing for a long time. In 1960s Khatri had joined Kalyan Bhagat to set up Matka in Mumbai.

Matka, a lottery or gambling with number is popularly called as Ankada Jugar. Matka was popular in Mumbai from pre-independence time that involved betting on the opening and closing rates of cotton transmitted from the New York Cotton Exchange. Matka was popular in all classes of Mumbai in 1960s. In 1962 Kalyanji Bhagat, started Worli Matka.

Ratan Khatri had joined Bhagat as a manager. In 1964 Khatri parted his way from Bhagat and formed his own 'Ratan Matka'. The Matka or drawing lots from chits in a pot became so famous that the turnover of the gambling touched Rs 1 crore daily.

According to sources, Khatri had not been keeping well for some time. He was living with his family in Navjeevan Society at Mumbai Central. Khatri passed away on Saturday morning.

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The Chaturmukha Vishnu is a very rare form of Vishnu once worshipped in Kashmir from the 8th and 9th century, when it was an important centre of Hinduism. The image shows Vishnu with four heads. Three clear faces are those of Vishnu, the Narasimha or the lion face, and the face of the Varaha avatar. The fourth face varies according to scriptures. Different scriptures describe the fourth head as either a demonic face, or the face of Kapila, or the face of Lakshmi, or even Hayagriva, the horse. In artwork, sometimes, the fourth head is absent and only the other three heads are shown.

This form of Vishnu has not four, but eight arms. Four arms hold the traditional conch shell, discus, mace and lotus flower. The other four hands hold a bow, an arrow, a sword and a shield. Sometimes, the image just has four arms. The gada (mace) is replaced with the gadanari or it is personified as a woman. The chakra is replaced by the chakrapurusha, a wheel embodied as a man.

In the post-Gupta period, we find importance given to Vishnu's weapons, symbolised in anthropomorphic forms. The gadanari is not very popular. In South Indian temples, we find many images of the Chakrapurusha, also known as Sudarshan. The vahana or the mount depicted is Garuda. He is sometimes accompanied by Lakshmi. There is no specific story associated with it. As Hinduism waned from Kashmir, this image died out and did not become popular.

In the Gupta period, imperial lines and dynasties associated themselves with Hinduism and Vishnu. Great value was given to the 'dominating and aggressive' forms of Narasimha and Varaha. Today, however, greater value is placed on the 'bhakti' forms of Ram and Krishna, whose stories are told in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Only in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, we find temples of Narasimha and Varaha.

There is no clear story about why Vishnu has four heads. In some places, Vishnu has only three, Brahma has four, and Shiva has five heads to show their relative power. The four heads may link to Vishnu being identified as Krishna, his brother, Balarama, his son, Pradyumna and his grandson, Aniruddha.

The only place, outside of Kashmir, where this image is found, is in Khajuraho, built in the tenth century. The Lakshman temple in Khajuraho has an image of Vishnu Vaikuntha. Here, he has three heads and four hands. The only legend associated with this image is that of the creation of a monster, with the head of a lion and a wild boar. He was told that when another creature who looked exactly like him appeared, he would be destroyed. This is why Vishnu took this form to destroy it.

Today, nobody worships this Vaikuntha form of Vishnu.

In many ways, the image connects royalty to the boar and the lion, symbols of aggression and domination. The hidden face represents the aspect of kingship that will always remain hidden from the public.

Devdutt Pattanaik writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt.pattanaik@mid-day.com

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Another 626 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain, bringing the total Coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 31,241, environment secretary George Eustice said. The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

Earlier in the day, the National Health Service (NHS), England, said a six-week-old baby has become one of the latest to die after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus. Chairing the Downing Street daily press briefing, Eustice unveiled a £16-million fund to help support charities which feed some of the country's most vulnerable people hit by the pandemic.

"It is absolutely vital they have the resources they need and this funding will help the most vulnerable in our society get the food they need at this enormously challenging time," he said. The funding is part of the 750-million-pound pot announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak for charities across Britain during the Coronavirus outbreak. As to the exit strategy of lockdown measures, the secretary told reporters that there is not going to be "dramatic overnight change" in the country's lockdown measures.

16m pounds
Fund unveiled to help support charities

Russia reports 10,817 cases in 24 hours

The overall number of Coronavirus cases in Russia increased to 1,98,676 on Saturday after the emergence of 10,817 new infections in the last 24 hour, health authorities said. According to the country's anti-Coronavirus crisis centre, the death toll currently stood at 1,827, while 31,916 people have recovered from the illness so far.

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Two days after gas leakage from LG Polymers claimed 12 lives and affected hundreds of others, people of Venkatapuram village staged a protest on Saturday with three dead bodies at the chemical plant, demanding justice.

Tension prevailed at the plant as the villagers staged a sit-in at the plant's gate when Director General of Police Gautam Sawang was visiting the site. Some protesters barged into the plant premises. The police had a tough time clearing them and providing safe passage to the top official.

Sawang said that the gas leakage has been plugged and the situation is under control. Sawang said that more technical teams from Delhi will be reaching the site to have further assess the situation and decide the way forward. "The situation is absolutely under control. All the reactions and leakages have been plugged. There is no matter of concern anymore," he said.

Meanwhile, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rope in national and international experts for health assessment of the people affected by the leakage of gas.

He wrote a letter that the long-lasting impact on the health of those undergoing treatment is of serious concern. It is suspected that the toxins emitted may cause permanent damage to the victims, said Naidu.

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The city might miss seeing Lord Ganesh in his full glory this year, as work on the gigantic idols, which usually adorn the biggest and richest pandals during Ganesh Chaturthi, has taken a big hit due to the Coronavirus outbreak and the resulting lockdown. Sculptors, who usually start work in May for the annual festival that will be celebrated on August 22 this year, have been forced to put all orders on hold, as raw materials aren't available, and most of the artisans are stuck in their hometowns. The government too, hasn't given permission to begin work. With the lockdown extended till May 17, the sculptors say that mandals might have to settle for scaled-down versions of the idol.

Mumbai has over 10,000 sarvajanik Ganesh mandals. To ensure that the idols are delivered on time, sculptors start work three months in advance, first making the pattern, a rough model, which is then corrected with welding at the workshops. Another 20 days are invested in painting the idol, and giving it the final touches. Mandals usually accept delivery of the idols 10 days before the festival begins.

A Ganesh idol-making workshop at Chinchpokli, where work otherwise begins in May, is currently shut due to the lockdown

With the way the situation has panned out till now, work is unlikely to begin before July. This will leave sculptors with just about a month to complete work. Reshma Khatu, daughter of late sculptor Vijay Khatu, says, "Currently, we have put all the orders and planning on hold and are awaiting the government's decision. The crisis doesn't seem to be nearing an end. We do not want to put our workers at risk. Even if one person is detected COVID-19 positive, work will go for a toss and the entire workshop will be sealed."

The other problem is that at least 70 per cent of the workers employed, hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They work in Maharashtra during May to October. Vijay Kumar Soni, hails from Patna, but is currently stuck in Konkan, where he and his employer Rajan Zaad, have been working on rough designs. "We came here in March, and hence could begin work. Some of the dyes are ready, and we hope to get started on the idols when we return to Mumbai. But, I am not sure if the other workers from Patna will be able to make it on time." Zaad, who is a sculptor from Lalbaug, says that he will be requesting the mandals to accept smaller-sized idols.

Sculptor Rajan Zaad says he intends to request mandals to have smaller-sized idols this year

The raw materials for making the larger idols come from Rajasthan and Kerala, while shadu—a kind of clay used for the sculpture—comes from Gujarat. But transportation has taken the biggest hit, and state borders are sealed.

Ankush Kambli, a sculptor from Parel village, says he has started work from home with the help of his family members but is running out of raw materials. Ditching the ubiquitous plaster of Paris, he has decided to use only shadu. "There is no clarity, if we will be able to get back to our routines of working from a workshop. We understand that there is the need for social distancing and that is the sole reason why we are working from home."

Reshma Khatu

The Brihanmumbai Murtikar Samanvay Samiti, an umbrella body of Ganpati sculptors, has decided to share their concerns with the government. Gajanan Tondvalkar, president of the samiti, and a sculptor in Naigaon, Dadar, says, "We will request the government to help ensure transportation of raw materials, so that we can work from home, at least."

Meanwhile, the city's Ganesh mandals, have decided to put discussions about the festivities on hold. Sudhir Salvi, secretary of Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, says, "Calls that need to be taken regarding the celebrations will be done once the Coronavirus situation is under control." The secretary of Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal, popularly known as Ganesh Galli Ganpati, Swapnil Parab, says the committee is yet to take a decision and will honour the government's directive.

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A postman succumbed to COVID-19 on Friday, making him the first casualty in the postal department in Mumbai. The 58-year-old postman, a resident of Kalachowkie, was attached to the delivery department of the GPO. He had blood pressure and heart ailment, for which he was already under treatment. A female staff member, also attached to the delivery section of the GPO, is currently being treated after having tested positive.

Just last week, mid-day had reported how postal staff in Navi Mumbai region were ensuring delivery of pension and facilitating withdrawal of postal savings for the elderly in the area, along with delivering medical kits to hospitals. Swati Pandey, Post Master General, Mumbai Region, said they were informed of the staffer's death on Friday by his son. "As per our record, he had reported to work only once during the lockdown, i.e. April 20. Out of a total of 5,500 several haven't reported to work. We are managing with limited manpower."

She added, "As per directives of Ashwini Bhide, additional municipal commissioner, we have sprayed disinfectant in the delivery section of the post office, sealed it, and have and also started tracking everyone he had come in contact with. So far, none of the contacts have shown any symptoms of COVID-19."

She added that the next of kin would be entitled to all benefits as per the norms and will also be entitled for a R10 lakh compensation, as declared by the Central government in case of a COVID-19 death. In addition to these two cases, a sub-postmaster at the Worli Police Camp Post office, a night guard at Matunga Post Office and a few delivery Postal Assistants have also tested positive.

"However, the staff continues to report to work. Around 20,000 essential articles have been delivered through Nodal Delivery Vehicles and through Window Delivery," an official stated.

5,500
No. of postal officers employed in Mumbai region

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A Colombian advertising company is pitching a novel if morbid solution to shortages of hospital beds and coffins during the coronavirus pandemic: combine them.

ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal railings that designers say can double as a casket if a patient dies. Company manager Rodolfo Gómez said he was inspired to find a way to help after watching events unfold recently in nearby Ecuador.

Families in the coastal city of Guayaquil waited with dead loved ones in their homes for days last month as COVID-19 cases surged. Many could not find or were unable to afford a wood coffin, using donated cardboard ones instead. Gómez said he plans to donate 10 of his new beds to Colombia's Amazonas department, where resources are in short supply. So far there is no indication whether the beds will be put to use and no orders have been placed.

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Maharashtra's count for COVID-19 cases crossed 20,000 cases and the city had 722 new cases on Saturday. The bar of the state's death toll rose higher with 48 deaths, and 27 of them occurred in Mumbai.

State health officials said that while Mumbai has 12,864 COVID-19 cases, an additional 178 cases have been reported, but are yet to be added to the tally. Apart from 27 deaths that occurred in Mumbai, 10 were reported in Pune, eight in Malegaon and one each in Akola, Nanded and Amravati. State health officials said that the 48 deaths had occurred between April 25 and May 8.

Migrant workers, who were walking to MP on the Eastern Expressway, were herded back by policemen before the Mulund Toll Naka. Pic/Sameer Markande

Civic officials said that among the 27 patients who died, 21 of them were suffering from other ailments and three of the patients who died were less than 40 years old. In order to reduce the burden on the city's hospitals, the civic body is now urging people who test positive but have no symptoms to refrain from visiting hospitals. They are encouraging asymptomatic positive patients to visit COVID care centres instead.

Meanwhile, 25 new cases were reported from Dharavi which included one death. Five of the cases were from Mukund Nagar, the slum pocket with the highest concentration of cases. Dharavi alone now has 833 positive cases. Five other cases were reported from Mahim, 18 in Dadar, including eight cases from Kasarwadi.

In order to avoid the spread of the infection as seen in Dharavi, officials from H West ward are sealing the Khar Danda area, which includes slum pockets. The decision was taken after five members of a family in a residential building in the area tested positive earlier this week. "We found a high-risk patient while tracing the contacts of the family that tested positive. We are sealing the area. We are figuring out the arrangements for food," said an official from H West. In other parts of Bandra West, 13 cases have been reported from Shastri Nagar and 14 from the slaugherhouse near the Bandra Railway Station. Civic officials said another 12 cases have been reported from the Nargis Dutt Nagar slums.

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A day after being unceremoniously transferred from the BMC chief's office, senior bureaucrat Praveen Pardeshi proceeded on a 14-day leave, instead of taking charge of the Urban Development Department at Mantralaya.

Sources said he applied for leave because his father is unwell and his wife is self-isolating herself, after having returned from London, where she works with an international organisation. Apart from the Urban Development Department, Pardeshi has also been asked to head the water resources department.

According to sources, the celebrated disaster management expert is also upset with the turn of events. He had been in the run for the Chief Secretary's post.

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The Congress has declared two candidates, making the ensuing legislative council poll elections more interesting. This means the polls in which CM Uddhav Thackeray is one of the nine candidates, will be decided through voting on May 21, unless one of the 10 candidates for the nine vacancies withdraws next week.

Rajesh Rathod was the Congress's choice cleared by the high command on Saturday. Papa Modi was announced at a state level, indicating that it could be a tactic to get more nominations in future polls. The BJP has fielded four—Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Praveen Datke, Gopichand Padalkar and Dr Ajit Gopchhede. The NCP has given tickets to Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari. The Sena has the CM and Neelam Gorhe, deputy chairman of the upper house.

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The Coronavirus lockdown has exposed our state and nation's deep, economic divide, as it has turned out to be a nightmare for lakhs of migrants and urban poor in Maharashtra. Not only have they lost their livelihood, they are also struggling to eat two square meals a day. "Apart from food, people also need money to pay rent and electricity bills, recharge their phones, meet medical expenses," explained Lalita T of the Stree Mukti Sanghatana, an NGO working for the rights of waste picker women. It has provided dry ration kits to 5,000 waste picker women in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane. They plan to carry out another distribution drive within the next couple of weeks.

The central government seems to have taken cognisance of the hunger problem as it has allowed NGOs conducting relief activities to approach the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for procuring food grains (rice and wheat) at subsidised rates from its warehouses. "We have to pick up a minimum of 1,000 kg at once. With trucks refusing to ply during the lockdown, this puts us in a tight spot. An additional challenge is that the wheat that's been allocated is whole grain wheat. It hasn't been milled into flour," said Trina Talukdar, co-founder of Kranti. Kranti first mailed the FCI on April 16 and its request to buy food grains from them was finally approved on May 8. They have provided food essentials to 700 families in Kamathipura and Malad so far, with money raised via private fundraising efforts. Each packet typically lasts a family of five for a month.

Lalita T, consultant with the Stree Mukti Sangathana

Agreeing with Talukdar, Nishant Bangera of the Muse Foundation remarked, "Providing only rice and wheat is inadequate. Why haven't pulses been included? We expected more hand-holding from the government because we lack resources. I'm not just referring to finances, there is also a shortage of volunteers on the ground given that we are dealing with a public health crisis." The founder of the Thane-based NGO revealed that carrying relief supplies for 100 people amounts to carrying more than three tonnes of material. It has been able to help about 500 families as of now. Muse emailed its registration certificate (bearing the charity commissioner's signature) to the authority concerned. Its request to buy rice was approved and it has distributed the same. It decided not to purchase wheat, because with no disposable income at hand and mills shut, recipients can't convert it into flour.

"The state has failed in its responsibility to cater to the needy. It has shifted the onus onto NGOs, but we don't have the kind of infrastructure that the state does, to reach every nook and corner," says Bilal Khan, an activist with the Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao (GBGB) movement. The GBGB kits includes supplies to prepare a basic meal— rice, wheat, pulses, masala, tea, oil, sugar, poha, rava, etc. It's logistically unfeasible for GBGB to procure rice from the FCI and all other materials from elsewhere, they say. GBGB has written to the FCI, but it hasn't heard back from them yet. Khan was one of the petitioners who had approached the Bombay High Court on March 23, seeking to address the gaps in the state government's relief response during the lockdown.

Ulka Mahajan, social worker

"It's the government's constitutional responsibility to provide food for everybody. We also want all the interstate and intrastate migrant workers to be safely transported back to their hometowns after their wages are settled," said Ulka Mahajan, a prominent social worker, who was a co-petitioner along with Khan. Mahajan feels that instead of solely depending on non-profits for distribution of food, they should also have been made stakeholders in the discussion around the lockdown and its exit plan. She stated the example of Kerala as a state which has benefitted from doing the same.

The divisional manager of the FCI in Mumbai, Avinash Dhabade, dismissed allegations of red tape claiming that, "More than 50 NGOs in Mumbai, such as the Rehbar Foundation and Citizens for Justice and Peace, have picked up food grains from us so far. NGOs engaging in relief work have to mail us their registration certificate, bearing the signature of the charity commissioner, online. If everything is in place, we will approve their request on the very same day."

Mukta Srivastava, right to food activist

As far as the stipulation to pick up one metric tonne of grains at once is concerned, Dhabade said that his hands are tied because the FCI is simply following a central government directive.

In what seems like a cruel joke, the Centre has decided to use the surplus stock of rice in its warehouses to make hand sanitiser by converting it into ethanol. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) based on the national policy on biofuels, which allows for the conversion of excess grains into ethanol. This move comes across as high-handed and insensitive, given the food insecurity of innumerable people in major cities across the country.

Trina Talukdar, co-founder, Kranti

"What about those who haven't registered themselves with the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board for instance? Or those who don't possess ration cards and so, they are excluded from the government's Public Distribution System," asks Mukta Srivastava, a Right to Food activist, questioning the government's apathy towards its most vulnerable.

Nishant Bangera, founder, Muse Foundation

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A 24-year-old man has been arrested for attacking two police officers and a constable, who were on nakabandi duty at Marine Drive in the early hours of Saturday.

According to the police, the Marine Drive police had set up nakabandi at the Mafatlal Bath junction, near Chowpatty on Friday night. At around 1.30 am, cops noticed a person walking with a chopper in his hand. When the police tried to stop him, he fled. The police finally apprehended him near SK Patil Udyan, near Charni Road. A scuffle ensued, and the man attacked the cops with his chopper.

The weapon used to attack the cops

Three policemen, Police Inspector Jitendra Kadam, Police Sub-inspector Sachin Shelke and Constable Sagar Shelke, were injured in the attack, and were admitted to JJ Hospital. The cops have suffered injuries to their shoulders and hands.

The accused has been identified as Karan Pradeep Nair, a resident of Silver Oak Estate in Cumballa Hill.

Sources said that Nair is a graduate in architecture, but is unemployed. He lives with his mother, a retired clerk with Air India, and a younger sister. "Initial investigations have revealed that Nair was a drug addict. He had a heated argument with his mother before leaving the house on Friday night. He was so angry that while walking out, he grabbed a chopper and told her that he would not spare anyone who came in front of him."

When contacted, Sangram Singh Nishandar, DCP (Zone 1), said, "He has been arrested, and investigations are on." Nair has been booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) and various sections of the IPC.

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It seems that there is rampant poaching of pangolins taking place during the lockdown in the Konkan belt, and their scales are being illegally sold in the local black market. During the raids, the forest department recovered two kilograms of pangolin scales and six nails. The pangolin is one of the most trafficked wild animals across the world as there is a huge international demand for its scales.

Range Forest Officer (RFO), Vaibhav Borate, said, "Based on the tip-off received from our sources, our forest department team raided the house of Kalpesh Tukaram Balgude at Karanjali [Balgudewadi] village near Dapoli. During the search operation of the house, our team recovered one tortoise shell, one jungle hare, and 22 kg of pangolin scales and nails. We have taken the accused into custody and investigation is on."

As evidence related to wildlife trade have been found from the house of the accused, the forest department is exploring the possibility of him doing this regularly. The forest department team has registered an offence under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

According to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) website, "Major threats to pangolins in India are hunting and poaching for local consumptive use and international trade. Another reason for hunting pangolin is its meat. There is now greater evidence of its inclusion in illicit international trade, in particular its scales, from India through Myanmar to China and South-East Asian countries as the most likely, final destinations. Inadequate information on population and distribution further accentuates the threats arising from hunting and poaching."

The Indian Pangolin is found sporadically throughout the plains and lower slopes of hills from south of the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, except the north-eastern region. The Chinese Pangolin is found in India in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and the northern part of West Bengal.

Why Pangolins?

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, for their scales [made of keratin], which are boiled off their bodies for use in traditional medicine. Their meat is a delicacy in Vietnam and China; and their blood, which is considered to be a healing tonic.

Pangolin could help find cure for COVID-19?

Soon after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, there were many media reports that claimed that the endangered pangolin was linked to the initial outbreak of the disease in China. However, this hasn't been proven yet. Now, a research conducted by the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, has revealed that certain genes sense when a virus enters the body, and trigger an immune response in most mammals. They found that pangolins, which have been called the 'missing link' between bats and humans, lack two of those virus-sensing genes. This means that not only are the endangered animals carriers, but they also seem to be immune to it, via an unknown mechanism. This evolutionary advantage and its understanding may give way to possible treatment options for COVID-19.

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Akash Kamble fell in love when he was a little boy. And once he set eyes on her languid, unending, lithe body, he was hooked.

His mother would take him along on the Mumbai local, from Bhayandar to Charni Road every day, so that her in-laws could babysit while she finished a day's work at her Fort office. Travelling in the train, watching it fly past through the window grill, had Kamble realise he loved trains deeply enough to work around them.

To acquire the weather beaten look of a diesel locomotive, Kamble uses candle light against the aluminium sheets

"I would observe them carefully during the commute and went on to make my first cardboard train model of a two-coach local when I was in Class VIII," says Kamble, 23, who is a mechanical engineer and holds the job of a Station Master with the Mumbai Monorail.

The rail model enthusiast thought the lockdown was the perfect opportunity to wrap up a few more models. He has, in the last five weeks, made 11 models of hi-class trains, from locomotives to local coaches.

"I first started with cardboard and foam-based train and engine models, but later moved to working with aluminium. My research involves reading about trains, their specifications and poring over their drawings. I make models of 1:35 scale, realistic and a perfect match [to the original]. The continuous involvement slowly leads to perfection," says Kamble, a resident of Ambernath, adding, "I have made a model of the most powerful green coloured WAG-9 electric locomotive and two coaches of the Garib Rath train. Besides this, one of my favourites is the diesel locomotive, a few coaches of the Mumbai local and a mail express."

He has also found the time to give finishing touches to earlier models, giving them a realistic feel. To acquire a weather beaten look of a diesel locomotive, he uses candle light against the aluminium sheets.

In 2019, Kamble joined what he calls his dream job. And, next on his agenda is to make a "replica of my employer". He has acquired drawings and technical specifications of the Mumbai Monorail and hopes to complete the project before the city chugs back to normal.

1:35
The ratio scale to which the mechanical engineer makes his models

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A day after the new BMC chief Iqbal Chahal took over, he spent the day visiting Nair Hospital, which is a designated facility for COVID-19 patients, and Dharavi which has the highest concentration of positive cases in the city. Apart from taking stock of the situation at both places, Chahal also had discussions with the hospital staff, patients as well as residents of Dharavi.

Chahal visited the Nair premises on Saturday morning, accompanied by Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani and hospital dean Dr Mohan Joshi. Chahal also interacted with the doctors and nurses about the issues they are facing, and told them that they could raise their concerns with him. "He wore a PPE and also visited the wards and met with patients to inquire about their health. The purpose of the visit was to understand the ground realities and also take feedback from the staff.

Chahal took stock of the community toilets in Dharavi. Pic/Suresh Karkera

He has asked the hospital staff to approach him with any requirements," said Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician with Bombay Hospital who accompanied Chahal. After Nair Hospital, Chahal visited Mukund Nagar in Dharavi. He also took a round of the community toilets. He asked the ward officials to ensure that the toilets have a steady supply of handwash and that they are cleaned regularly.

He directed the ward officials to take up contact tracing more comprehensively. "The commissioner has asked for the total number of people, who tested positive from dense slum pockets and those who lived in residential buildings. He wanted to understand the ratio of patients who have tested positive from both areas. He has also asked us to identify more high-risk patients and place them under quarantine," said an official.

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Fiddler on the roof

A child fiddles with a phone while his guardian takes a nap on the roof of a shanty in Dharavi on Saturday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Lockdown deliveries

Ever since the lockdown was imposed in the city in March, many households have missed cooking fresh stock of fish. Almost two months into practicing self-isolation, some still miss the whiff of fish lingering in their kitchens. But, Ganesh Nakhawa, who also goes by the name The Last Fisherman of Bombay, is delivering happiness to your doorstep.

Nakhawa, chairman of the National Purse Siene Fishermen Welfare Association, is making it a point to deliver prawns and other fish to hardworking policemen. He drives around in his car late evenings to get this job done. A picture uploaded on his social media shows him handing over a bag of freshly cleaned prawns to a local cop, who looks evidently happy. The caption reads: "From one essential worker to another."

Why Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara is unique

Cricket runs in the blood for only one cricketer in the current India Test team— Cheteshwar Pujara—whose father Arvind  was a first-class player. Arvind opened the innings for Saurashtra in the 1970s, well before his star batsman son was born in 1988.

But 50 seasons ago in 1969-70, there were several father-son examples in Indian cricket. Take for example, the fifth Test between India and Australia at Chennai where the India XI included skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, whose father Iftikhar captained India in 1946.

Arvind pujara

Also present was Ashok Mankad, the son of legendary all-rounder Vinoo and Lala Amarnath's son Mohinder. There were more such examples in domestic cricket in that season. All-rounder Syed Gulrez Ali, the son of Syed Mushtaq Ali, was a key performer for Madhya Pradesh while Anshuman Gaekwad was taking his early steps on the first-class scene for Baroda six seasons after dad Dattajirao ended his domestic cricket career. Interestingly, Mumbai giants like Ajit Wadekar, Dilip Sardesai and Farokh Engineer played against Gaekwad senior and junior. Ranjit, the son of ex-India skipper Vijay Hazare, first played Ranji Trophy cricket in the 1966-67 season, but had to make a comeback after five years.

The 1970s were great for 'relative' cricket. You had the Mankads—Ashok, Atul and Rahul, Amarnaths— Mohinder, Surinder and Rajinder, all playing a high level of cricket while their dads watched on. Vinoo passed away in 1978 while Lala, who bid goodbye in 2000, used to be on tour with his sons due to his commentary commitments. As for Anshuman's father, he is still going strong at 91, having seen his grandson Shatrunjay make his first-class debut in 2003, an honour Mushtaq Ali lived to experience as well with Syed Abbas Ali.

Just give him a call for a job

Dilip Merala

In a world that's soon going to be flooded with resumes, how do you stand out? Dilip Merala, a 34-year-old student at The University of Texas, Dallas, has found the perfect tune to break the clutter. In a one-minute, 12-second video titled "Résumé Song —For Recruiters Looking to Hire Product Managers and Data Analysts" which is posted on his YouTube channel, Merala strums the guitar and tells recruiters over a song that "he's their guy".

A screenshot of Merala singing the Resume song

Merala, who is from Mumbai, is currently in Richardson, Texas. On why he made the video, he says, "There is nothing original about an International Master's student nervously looking for a job on the verge of graduation. So, one day when I was home thinking about approaching recruiters, some words came to mind and I put them together in a song. When I recorded it, I thought 'Hey, that's not bad! Let me share it and see what happens'."

No trash talk for this CEO

While most us of are locked up indoors, Anil Chowta, founder and CEO of Ecosac Utility Bags has been driving across the city in his car to personally deliver the eco-friendly garbage bags called kachra sack.

"As most of the delivery staff don't have their own vehicles, they would've been more vulnerable to the exposure of the virus, posing a risk to their own and customer health. I deemed it safer to fulfill the deliveries myself as I have the resources and access to all necessary precautionary measures," said Chowta, who has covered areas ranging from Cuffe Parade to Kandivli.

Reuben's roast about rappers

Comedian Reuben Kaduskar is serving his audience on YouTube fresh roasts every couple of weeks. Kaduskar's new series titled Rage Against features him ranting about things that annoy him and his audience. The first installment saw him take down diss tracks (a song where the primary purpose is to insult someone else) by desi hip hop artistes trying to verbally attack each other. "I have grown up witnessing some legendary beefs between rappers such as Tupac and Biggie, Nas and Jay-Z.

So, as a fan of hip hop, I was disappointed to see the quality of some of the Indian diss tracks. I decided to make a video about it because I want Indian hip hop to grow and evolve," he explained. The funnyman speaks about the toxic masculinity in these songs, their dismal lyrical quality, the use of playground insults, rappers bragging about their own success etc. He aims to help people take their minds off the Coronavirus crisis by creating content that is distinct. The next one in the series is going to be about TikTok videos. "I think it will be interesting to explore how they are entertaining and annoying at the same time."

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Air India's first evacuation flight with 326 Indians from London landed at Mumbai Airport on Sunday. According to Indian high commission in the UK, the flight took off from London on Saturday on board 326 people. It landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. On Monday, India announced had that it will begin phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7.

The government said that Air India will operate 64 flights in the first week from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals.

On day three of the 'Vande Bharat Mission', flights carrying Indians from the Gulf countries, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh and Malaysia arrived in India.

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Mumbai Police on Sunday informed about the death of assistant sub-inspector (ASI) attached to the Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station and said he was battling coronavirus. "Mumbai Police regrets to inform about the unfortunate demise of ASI Sunil Dattatray Kalgutkar from Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station. ASI Kalgutkar had been battling Coronavirus. We pray for his soul to rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kalgutkar family," Mumbai police tweeted on Sunday.

Mumbai Police regrets to inform about the unfortunate demise of ASI Sunil Dattatray Kalgutkar from Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station. ASI Kalgutkar had been battling Coronavirus.

We pray for his soul to rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kalgutkar family.

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 9, 2020

The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has risen to 20,228 with 1,165 new cases reported on Saturday, state Public Health Department said. According to the official media bulletin, 48 deaths were reported due to the infection from the state on Saturday.

The number of COVID-19 patients discharged after full recovery from the disease reached 3,800 with 330 patients discharged yesterday.

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A 60-year-old coronavirus patient admitted at Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai has committed suicide. "Prakash Devadiga, a 60-year-old COVID-19 patient, committed suicide by hanging after making a noose with a pyjama hanging from an iron mesh in 9th floor of Seven Hill Hospital," said a police official of MIDC police station.

No suicide note has been found from the possession of Devadiga, the official added.

The MIDC police station has registered an Accidental Death Report and an investigation is underway.

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The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday informed that few people were feared to be trapped under the debris after a wall of a house collapsed in Kandivali (West) area of Mumbai. According to NDRF, so far three people have been rescued.

"Four to five people possibly trapped after wall of a house collapsed in Kandivali (West) area of Mumbai. 3 people rescued till now," the NDRF said.

A rescue operation is underway at the mishap site.

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All category MSEDCL consumers including the residential and CHS (Co-operative Housing society) consumers having bill amount 10,000 & above can now avail the facility of RTGS and NEFT along with the online bill payment options.

The MSEDCL consumers primarily pay their electricity bills through cheque even if the online facility is available. However, due to the corona virus pandemic, the lockdown has affected the banking transactions. Considering this situation, MSEDCL has given the option of RTGS and NEFT for consumers having a bill of 10,000 and above. Even the single and three phase residential consumers having a bill of 10,000 and above, can make payment through this system. Along with this, the consumers can make online payment through credit card, net banking, debit card, google pay, cash card, UPI, digital wallet etc.

MSEDCL is printing the bank details on the electricity bills of residential and CHS consumers whose bill is more than 10,000. These consumers can avail this facility by using the virtual account details of MSEDCL given on their bill in their RTGS and NEFT application they submit to their bank. Also, the consumer can make payment only in the account number given on their electricity bill.

Direct Link through SMS
To make payment remotely from their home, MSEDCL sends direct payment link via SMS to LT consumers. A direct payment link is being sent via SMS including the details of bill amount, due date, etc to the consumers who have registered their mobile number with MSEDCL. The consumer can make payment using this link. The consumers who have not yet registered their mobile number with MSEDCL can send a SMS through that number typing MREG (space) (12-digit consumer number) to 9930399303. Apart from this, the consumer can also register by logging on to MSEDCL website i.e. www.mahadiscom.in or MSEDCL's Mahavitaran Mobile app.

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The International Maritime Organization has confirmed that 47 countries have now ratified the Ballast Water Management Convention – more than the 30 required – but these countries' combined fleets comprise 34.35 percent of global tonnage, below the level required for the Convention to enter into force.

The Kerala Government has sanctioned funds for districts affected by the crippling Chikungunya fever in a bid to curtail the deadly virus. Chief

The Maharashtra health department Thursday said 22 cases of Chikungunya disease were confirmed in Kolhapur district of the sate. "Of the 20 villages

The immune system of this mosquito is of great importance as scientists believe it plays a key role in controlling the transmission of viruses that cause

New Delhi, Health Minister A. Ramadoss Thursday said that all villages affected by chikungunya fever would get Rs.10,000 to prevent mosquito breeding

Nearly half the central government funds allocated to fight chikungunya last year remained unused - mostly in southern states that, ironically, were struggling

As Kerala staggers under the whipping rod of Chikungunya, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has been cornered over its quest for a 'politically correct' low-cost health cover plan.

The first animal model of the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), linked with large-scale epidemics that spread to Italy and India in 2007 has been developed by Researchers at the Institut Pasteur and INSERM.

A meningitis outbreak has killed 931 people in four West African countries since January, with most of the deaths occurring in Nigeria, the UN children's fund said Wednesday.

An experimental vaccine provided 100 percent protection against the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus in primates and mice, offering hope it will work for humans too, according to a study.

Scientists claim that delayed appearance of IgG3 antibodies (a naturally-acquired antibody) serves as a specific biomarker that increases the risk of the more severe form of Chikungunya.

According to a new Cornell University computer model, global travel and climate warming could be creating the right conditions for outbreaks of a new virus in this country.

Mass slaughter of poultry was done at a market by the authorities in Shanghai after the H7N9 bird flu virus claimed the lives of five people. The

For the first time chikungunya, the mosquito-borne disease has spread in the western hemisphere confirms the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tuesday,

Deaths from dengue fever soared to nearly three times in Malaysia this year, compared to the same period in 2013, and a stepped-up campaign has been launched

Chikungunya is mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever, headache, severe joint pain and rash on the body. A study published in the iNew England