New Delhi, May 1 () German luxury car manufacturer Audi on Friday announced complimentary disinfection and general check-up of vehicles for the customers engaged in fighting the coronavirus pandemic from the front line.Audi customers who are leading the battle against COVID-19 from the front line can avail of a complimentary disinfection/cleaning of interiors, exterior cleaning and general check-up of their Audi, along with a courtesy car pick-up and drop, Audi India said in a statement.The offer is being made under the 'Salute to COVID-19 Warriors' initiative in gratitude of the services rendered by essential workers, it added."As we continue to battle this unprecedented crisis, we are pleased to announce that all Audi India dealerships across the country will prioritise vehicle servicing

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani has accelerated the timeframe for wiping out ₹1.61 lakh crore of net debt at his Reliance Industries by bringing in strategic investors in key businesses as well as committing more equity.Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), had in August last year set a target of March 2021 to make the oil-to-telecom conglomerate net debt-free. But thanks to a USD 5.7 billion (Rs 43,547 crore) deal with Facebook, a Rs 53,125 crore rights issue and more stake sale to companies such as Saudi Aramco, the target is likely to be achieved by December.In an investor and media call post announcement of the company's fourth-quarter earnings, RIL's Joint Chief Financial Officer Srikanth Venkatachari said, "The zero net debt target will be achieved within

Travel by rail, air, metro and even inter-state movement by road will continue to be restricted. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain closed. There will be zone-wise relaxations for areas that fall into the orange or green zones.The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced that the nationwide lockdown in India has been extended by another two weeks. Instead of relaxations kicking in on May 3 — the lockdown regulation will remain in place until May 17. The decision has been made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers and other top government functionaries met yesterday (April 30).Travel by rail, air, metro and even inter-state movement by road will continue to be restricted. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain closed. This

Nashik, May 2 () At least 19 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Saturday, taking the tally to 316 here, an official said. Of the 19 new cases, seven were from Malegaon and 12 from Nashik, a release from the district administration state.With the fresh cases, the COVID-19 count in the district has gone up to 316, which includes 281 patients in Malegaon, 16 in Nashik city and 17 from other parts of the district, the statement read. As many as 12 patients have succumbed to the infection in the district, while 25 have recovered so far, it was stated.

Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 (): After remaining free of any positive cases for a month, Wayanad reported a loneCOVID-19 case on Saturday, following which the district wasshifted from the green to the orange zone, Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan said.The other positive case in the state was from Kannur,which has the highest number of cases at present.With the fresh cases,the tally in the state stood at 499.No positive cases were detected in the state on Friday."There are only two positive cases in the state today. But one is from Wayanad where since the past one month no positive cases have been reported.So Wayanad has been removed from thegreen to the orange zone," Vijayan told reporters here.Samples of 8 people - six from Kannur and two from Idukkihave returned negative.There are 80 hotspots,

Kolkata, May 2 () Fifteen people have died in West Bengal due to COVID-19 in the last 48 hours, taking the toll to 48, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department on Saturday. It said 127 new cases of coronavirus were registered from different parts of the state during this period, as the new number of active cases rose to 639.The government did not issue any bulletin on the COVID-19 status on Friday.In the last 48 hours, 60 people have been discharged from various hospitals after being cured. Now a total of 199 patients have been cured of the disease in the state.The bulletin said 4,471 samples were tested during this period to check COVID-19 and the total number of tests in West Bengal is 20,976.The total number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal till Saturday is 886 while

Bhubaneswar, May 2 () Eight people tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha's Jajpur district on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 157, officials said with 56 people cured of the disease and one death, the number of active cases in the state now stands at 100. Till Friday, a total of 36,593 samples were tested, they said All the eight newly detected patients, which include two women, have a travel history to Kolkata in West Bengal, officials said, adding they were kept in a quarantine centre and had no symptoms of coronavirus.Their samples were tested in view their travel history, the officials said.With these new instances of the infection, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased to 47 in Jajpur district which has emerged as the new coronavirus hotspot of Odisha.

Nashik, May 3 () The number of coronavirus cases rose to 360 in Maharashtra's Nashik district after 27 more people tested positive for the disease, the district administration said on Sunday. With this, 324 COVID-19 cases have so far been reported from Malegaon town, 16 from Nashik city and 17 from other parts of the district.Besides, three patients from outside Nashik are also under going treatment in hospitals here, the district administration said in a release.The district has so far reported 12 deaths, while 25 people have been discharged after recovery.

New Delhi, May 3 () Jet fuel (ATF) prices have been slashed by a steep 23 per cent in line with a slump in international oil prices and it now costs about one-third of petrol and diesel whose rates continue to be frozen for the 50th day on Sunday. Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price has been cut by Rs 6,812.62 per kilolitre, or 23.2 per cent, to Rs 22,544.75 per kl in the national capital, according to a price notification by state-owned oil marketing companies. 75463339ATF, which is used as a fuel in aeroplanes, now costs less than one-third of the price of petrol used in cars and two-wheelers. A litre of petrol in Delhi comes for Rs 69.59 while jet fuel is priced at Rs 22.54 per litre. Diesel, used mostly in trucks, buses and tractors, is priced at Rs 62.29 per litre. In fact, even market

A number of aircraft of Indian Air Force conducted a fly past over different parts spanning the length and breadth of the country today (May 3) as a tribute to the frontline staff ⁠— doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police and others ⁠— dealing with the COVID-19 pandeminc in India. This flying activity was combined along with the training activity of the Indian Air Force and opportunity flight for transport aircraft and helicopters who are involved in moving supplies related to COVID-19 task, a government statement said. Watch the video here: Courtesy: The state-run broadcaster Doordarshan.From the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow to Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital in Kerala, the IAF aircrafts showered flower petals

Two out of the top three military spenders in the world are India and China – and Pakistan was among the top ten countries in terms of military spending as a portion of the GDP in 2019 – and that says something about the tension in the region. Even as the world is struggling to tame the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, India and Pakistan are exchanging fires across the Line of Control in Kashmir. Most recently, two Indian soldiers including a Colonel lost their lives. The appeal for peace from United Nations' chief Antonio Guterres has not eased the tensions so far. From the Korean Peninsula to the South China sea, to the India-Pakistan border, there are many hotspots in Asia involving the three major nuclear powers. So here's a look at how India and its two bitter neighbours have increased

This is an excerpt of an article originally published in the Observer Research Foundation. Viral load matters.Although there’s plenty we still don’t know about all the ways coronavirus ravages the human body, data are telling us at least this much: More than 10 in 100 frontline healthcare workers in the US are getting infected with COVID19.Frontline health care workers who are typically in closest proximity with confirmed COVID19 patients account for 11% per cent of US COVID19 cases according to the first national level data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).7551518275516736Doctors on the cutting edge of COVID19 research have been urging policy makers to factor viral dose and its relationship to severity. This CDC report based on data between February 12–April

The nationwide lockdown has had deep ramifications on economic activity and according to a CEO Snap Poll by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), 44.7 per cent of the corporate chiefs believe that it would take more than a year for the Indian economy to recover.According to the snap poll on the 'Impact of COVID-19 on Economy and Industry', as a majority of the firms continue to anticipate a significant decline in their revenues, they now foresee a delay in economic revival and demand recovery.SEE ALSO: Crashing crude oil cracks Reliance Industries fourth-quarter profit by nearly 40%Crashing crude oil cracks Reliance Industries fourth-quarter profit by nearly 40% "The survey results reveal that the country may experience a protracted slowdown in economic activity as a major proportion

Ahmedabad, May 3 () One more ward of Ahmedabad city was declared as a COVID-19 containment zone on Sunday, taking the total number of such wards here to 10, a senior civic official said. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is taking steps to ensure lockdown rules are strictly followed in these affected areas to contain the spread of coronavirus, he said.The Maninagar ward in south Ahmedabad is the latest to be added in the list of containment zones, the official said.The COVID-19 figures in Ahmedabad till Saturday are as follows: Total cases-3,543, deaths-184, active cases-2,815, discharged-525, total samples tested-30,166 (at the rate of 5,000 samples per million), the official said.Ahmedabad has been declared a red zone by the Centre, and the state government will decide on the lockdown

Indore, May 3, Two more people succumbed to coronavirus in Indore, taking the COVID-19 death toll in the Madhya Pradesh's worst hit district to 76, an official said on Sunday.The latest victims included a 55-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man, who died in different hospitals here in the last three days, Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer Praveen Jadia said.The woman had diabetes and thyroid problems, while theman was diabetic and also had high blood pressure, he said.Indore reported 23 new coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases in the district to 1,568 cases, the official said.So far, 350 people have been discharged in the district after recovery, he said.An analysis of the data shows the COVID-19 death ratein Indore stood as 4.85 per cent

Aurangabad (Maha), May 3 () The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases to about 300 over one week in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra can be largely attributed to augmented testing capacity, a senior official said on Sunday. Divisional Commissioner Sunil Kendrekar told that the administration had earlier been testing only primary contacts of coronavirus positive cases but has now included secondary contacts as well.Aurangabad has been classified as one of the 14 'Red'zones in Maharashtra, which has reported more than 12,000 COVID-19 cases so far."Augmented testing is the reason for the rise in the number of cases. This aggressive tracing (of contacts) has also helped us in detecting more patients," he said.Kendrekar also said that since majority of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, the rate

A rights issue is an invitation to existing shareholders to buy more shares at a discount to the market price. RIL's investors can subscribe to the right to own one new share for every 15 held in the company at ₹1,257 per share, 14% below Thursday’s (April 30) closing price. Even if you expect that RIL shares will be worth a lot more in the future, if the share falls to ₹1,257, or below, investors can buy the shares from the market instead of subscribing to the rights.The rights issue announced by one of India's most valued company, Reliance Industries (RIL), will have to conclude by the end of June, as declared by the company. The company owned by Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, plans to mop up ₹53,125 crore from shareholders. RIL's investors can subscribe to the right to own one new share

Chandigarh, May 3 () Curfew will be imposed in Haryana from 7 pm to 7 am with effect from May 4, state Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said on Sunday. Haryana's neighbouring state Punjab and common capital Chandigarh had imposed curfew before the nationwide lockdown was announced. "As per the directions issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the curfew will be imposed in the state from 7 pm to 7 am from May 4, 2020," Arora said. Haryana has given relaxations from April 20 to restart the economic activities like opening of industry and the shops in non-containment zones while following the Centre's guidelines. An official release issued on Sunday evening said the Haryana government "is working to bring the health and economic conditions of the people of its state back on track and

By Gurdip Singh Singapore, May 4 () Nearly 4,800 Indian nationals, most of whom are living in dormitories for foreign workers, have been tested positive with the novel coronavirus in Singapore till the end of April, the Indian High Commissioner here said on Monday.The total number of coronavirus cases in Singapore are 18,205 with 18 deaths, according to the figures released by Singapore Health Ministry on Sunday."Almost all of the infection among Indian workers is mild and their conditions are improving," Jawed Ashraf, Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, told .Over 3,500 Indian nationals, including students, have also registered with the High Commission to return home or to seek assistance for accommodation and food due to their unexpectedly long stay here, he said.Over 90 per cent of the

As countries across the world continue to grapple with COVID-19, ZEE5 Global, which is present in 190 countries, sees a 60% surge in subscriptions and 20% growth in viewership in all markets. The platform’s focus this year is going to be on expanding across geographies, localization and strengthening its content strategy.Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global further shares the growth plan, which are the key markets for ZEE5 global, and its retention strategy once the lockdown is lifted. As most countries across the globe continue being under lockdown, viewers are turning to OTT platforms to stay entertained and escape from the much scarier reality. ZEE5 Global has also seen a 60% uptick in the number of subscribers globally and a 20% growth in viewership in the past month due

Bengaluru, May 4 () A 56-year old man from Kalaburagi became the 26th COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, as the state reported 28 new cases, taking the total number of infections to 642, the Health Department said on Monday. Davangere, which was in the green zone has seen as purt in cases with 21 out of 28 cases coming from the district.The deceased was a known case of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and was admitted on April 29 with complaints of cough and fever, the department said in its mid-day situation update.His chest X-ray showed bilateral patchy pneumonitisand he died at designated hospital in Kalaburagi, it said."Twenty-eight new positive cases have been reportedfrom last evening to this noon...Till date 642 COVID-19positive cases have been confirmed. This includes

Poynter Institutes International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) on Monday launched its chatbot on WhatsApp to help two billion users of the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform to check veracity of information related to COVID-19.The IFCN's bot connects people with independent fact-checkers in more than 70 countries and also with the largest database of debunked falsehoods related to the new coronavirus.75343540By using the IFCN's bot on WhatsApp, citizens from all over the world will be able to easily check whether a piece of content about COVID-19 has already been rated as false by professional fact-checkers.Since January, more than 80 fact-checking organisations from 74 countries have identified more than 4,000 hoaxes related to the novel coronavirus.All this information now forms the

"Fear is the most contagious disease you can imagine. It makes the virus look like a piker," Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said.Buffet's net worth is an estimated $72 billion, and his investment firm has a cash pile of $137 billion.Buffett's view, and it is hard to disagree with it, the worst of the coronavirus impact on the global economy and markets may not be over yet."Fear is the most contagious disease you can imagine. It makes the virus look like a piker," Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and more importantly an iconic investor said. "I don’t believe anybody knows what the market is going to do tomorrow, next week, next month, next year,” he added.The words are from a man whose net worth is an estimated $72 billion, and his investment

This is an excerpt of an article originally published by the Observer Research FoundationWork will be exactly what it is right now as the ‘future’ has already made its way to our present realities. It is then important to know how to address one of the most prevailing obstacles of our ‘new now’ — building trust within our cyber-relationships (mostly focusing on daily transactions and remote working).We know the world is heading towards an economic recession. We, therefore, need to try to make our new cyber reality as akin to real life as possible. This translates into having digital economies that want to be like the very jobs we used to have.Perhaps blockchain will have the answer. Humans produce data every single day, and there have long been debates about its ownership. Web 3.0 may now

IANS“While the lockdown has helped in flattening the curve, the curve has not shown a downward trend. That is a cause for concern,” Guleria told The Indian Express.He also believes “the next four to six weeks will be very, very important because the lockdown cannot be there forever. The ideal, the dream would be to have zero cases.”Guleria believes “we are better prepared than we were before”, but the pandemic has to be “fought at the community level, not the hospital level.”Lav Aggarwal, the spokesperson, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighted the fact that for the first time since the outbreak, India’s COVID-19 cases are doubling every 12 days. Which is a huge improvement since before lockdown began coronavirus cases were doubling every 3.2 days as of March 24. However, the

The International Fact-Checking Network has launched a WhatsApp chatbot to fact check information about Coronavirus.The chatbot allows users to check whether the information received by them is authentic or not.Users can also use the IFCN chatbot to identify fact checkers near them.The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life across the world and over 3.6 million people have been infected. Misinformation has also been a huge problem as social media platforms have been used to spread fake news about Coronavirus.WhatsApp has over 2 billion monthly active users and there have been several instances where the messaging app has been used to spread fake news. To help users stay safe during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has launched a

Columbia UniversityDar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand captured the life inside Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370. Pulitzer Prize is the highest honour US-based journalists can get.On August 5, Modi-government revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and formed two separate Union Territories.Three photojournalists — Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand — who work at Associated Press in India have won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography. The three photojournalists won the prize “for striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout,” said the Pulitzer website. Thank you Colleagues, friends, brothers. I would just

BHEL has invited foreign companies to ‘Make in India’ as it seeks to capitalise on US-China tensions to solve its cash flow issues.Investors cheered the move as the stock surged nearly 10% in two days.BHEL’s stock has taken a beating this year, losing half its value after missing FY20 sales by 20%.Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has invited foreign companies to use its facilities to set up manufacturing bases in the country. The government-owned company has floated an expression of interest in this regard. The stock surged nearly 10% in two days before cooling off, as investors cheered the initiative of a state-owned company looking to invite foreign companies on the fence in China and at the same time resolve its cash flow issues — two birds with one stone. 75548252For the year 2020

In our latest episode of BTS with Insiders, Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Ogilvy, talks about four actors, Irrfan Khan, Pushpa Joshi, Atmaram Bhende and Asha Bhende, would are no longer with us but who created magic in some campaigns created by the ad guru.Pandey shares some stories from each of the three ads, while also making an appeal to younger creative professionals to be open to identifying new actors.Last week we collectively grieved the loss of two stalwarts who made a huge impact on Indian cinema, Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor. When I reached out to Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Ogilvy, for our weekly chat show, BTS with Insiders, we initially wanted to talk about three ads that he had worked on over the course of his career that he held close

Apple has announced the new 13-inch MacBook Pro in India starting at ₹1,22,990.The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features increased storage and the improved Magic keyboard.The MacBook Pro will be available from authorised Apple resellers after the lockdown ends. Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has announced the new 13-inch MacBook Pro in India amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The new refresh comes just 10 months after the company had updated the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and True Tone display.The new 13-inch MacBook Pro replaces the existing Butterfly keyboard with the Magic keyboard that has a redesigned scissor mechanism with 1mm of key travel, a physical escape key, Touch Bar and TouchID. The Magic keyboard was first introduced with the 16-inch MacBook Pro.Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro pricing

Internet harassment against women is at an all-time high in India. To help address this issue, OYO is discouraging smutty comments directed towards women on its social media tactfully. This initiative also led to improved behavior on the company’s social media, with a 42% drop in negative sentiment towards the brand in less than two weeks (precisely 11 days). OYO also observed some users deleting distasteful comments.“Have we ever come across a woman who hasn’t faced online threats, trolling or harassment at least once in her life? And how are we as members of a responsible society tackling this menace?” These were some of the questions that Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand, OYO Hotels & Homes pondered upon. The answer came to him through a quick scan on social media. As internet harassment

Nashik, May 5 () A 20-year-old pregnant woman died due to COVID-19 here, taking the toll in Nashik district of Maharashtra to 13, while four more persons tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, officials said. The woman, a resident of Bajrang wadi area of the city,was admitted in serious condition in the District Civil Hospital here on May 2, according to an official release.She died at the hospital after two hours, it said.Her swab report was received on Tuesday and it was found to be positive for the novel coronavirus, the release said.This was the first COVID-19 fatality reported from Nashik city, while the district's toll increased to 13, itsaid.Besides, four more persons - one each from Satana, Sinnar, Yeola and Malegaon towns - tested positive for coronavirus in the district on

New Delhi, May 5 () IT major Wipro on Tuesday said it has inked a pact with the Maharashtra government to repurpose one of its campuses in Hinjewadi, Pune, to a 450-bed COVID-19 intermediary care hospital in four weeks. The facility will be handed over to the state government by May 30, and the hospital will be converted back to an IT facility after a year, according to a statement. The 450-bed hospital, to be equipped to treat moderate cases, will include 12 beds to stabilise critical patients before shifting them to a tertiary care facility. "This is an independent, isolated COVID-19 dedicated complex that also includes 24 well-appointed rooms to accommodate doctors and medical staff," the company said. Maharashtra is among the worst-affected states by the pandemic. As on Tuesday morning,

As researchers and health workers try out new experiments to stop the spread of coronavirus across the country, an engineering student from Varanasi has designed an 'anti-COVID-19 robot' which will help the security forces shock lockdown violators.Vishal Patel, a third year student of mechanical engineering at the Ashoka Institute in Varanasi, has developed this robot that can not only run on shallow water but can also operate comfortably on smooth and bumpy surfaces.Patel, who built the robot under the supervision of his senior Shyam Chaurasia, claims that the device is also a security shield for police personnel.It will also help the police to crack down on those flouting the lockdown rules. The police who are at a risk from coronavirus infection can maintain social distancing by operating

The Telangana government has extended the Coronavirus lockdown till May 29.The government has issued new guidelines for opening of shops in urban and rural areas in the orange and green zones.Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Malkajgiri-Medchal have been classified as red zones.The Telangana lockdown has been extended till May 29, the state government today announced after a marathon cabinet meeting of around 7 hours. The K Chandrashekhar Rao government has decided that it will not allow any relaxations, and the curfew will continue as is for the lockdown period. The CM added that irrespective of the centre's decision, the lockdown will continue even after the nationwide lockdown ends on May 17. “The situation in the State capital, Hyderabad, and its neighbouring districts, Rangareddy and Malkajigiri-Medchal

In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.Since retail has been impacted severely, we talk to Gitanjali Singh, Vice President Marketing, Select CITYWALK on how the organization is trying to bounce back and preparing for the post-Covid world.The last one month has thrown a lot of unforeseen challenges to the entire world. As people across the globe are trying to cope with this new normal, there are a lot of things that might change forever.The way businesses are being conducted might see a complete overhaul. People might be unwilling to venture out for a long time to come, at least till a vaccine is developed. This is also expected to bring about behavioural changes in

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus/TwitterThe World Health Organisation has been caught in controversies amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.US has accused the multi-lateral platform for health initiatives for acting as China’s ‘proxy’. In a conversation with Business Insider, Parag Khanna, Managing Partner at Future Map and Samir Saran, President of Observer Research Foundation explained the kind of reforms WHO needed to bring to become politically unbiased. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been under fire from the West ever since the coronavirus outbreak. US President Donald Trump accused the WHO of siding with China and even threatened to hold back its funding. There are more experts chiming in and calling for a fixed term for the WHO chief to avoid political partisanship in the future⁠—

Coronavirus conspiracies are being spread by far-right groups across the world – from blaming 5G technology to targeting Muslim and other minority communities.Some of the Coronavirus conspiracy theories also say that this pandemic is a population control tool.In India, the Tablighi Jamaat incident has been used by far-right groups to target Muslims using hashtags like #CoronaJihad, using the pandemic to suggest that it is a form of terrorism.Other Coronavirus conspiracies in India suggest that hot weather, clove and herbs, and alcohol can help people avoid contracting Covid-19.The Coronavirus pandemic has forced the Indian government to announce a nationwide lockdown since March 24, but it’s not just the deadly disease that we need to worry about. There have been many conspiracy theories,

BCCLSanofi plans to get thousands of subjects onboard across the world for the trials of experimental coronavirus vaccines that it is developing with GSK. Once enrolled, the company will start early-stage trials in September. The pharma giant has already partnered with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) and is researching also exploring other options simultaneously. It hopes to introduce the vaccine next year, reported Reuters.Sanofi, a French multinational pharmaceutical company, says it is working on two different projects to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. The pharma giant has partnered with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK) and is researching other options as well. It hopes to introduce the vaccine by next year, reported Reuters. The plan is to get thousands of subjects on board across the world to test

The Indian government increased the excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10 and ₹13 per litre respectively, hoping to mop up ₹1.6 lakh crore this year.As a result of this, tax on petrol and diesel comprises of 70% of the total price per litreWith the crude oil prices at historically low levels, this could help the government reduce the fiscal deficit at a time when the economy has come to a standstill due to the nationwide lockdown.Amid the falling crude prices, the cash-strapped Indian government has increased the excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹10 and ₹13 per litre respectively. The increase in excise duty has now taken the tax component in the auto fuels to almost 70% and with this, the government hopes to mop up ₹1.6 lakh crore this year.Various state governments across the country

“Even after India approves the coronavirus vaccine, it might not be possible to produce more than 10-20 million doses in the first year.”The comments came from the Chairperson of Biocon in an exclusive chat with Business Insider.Syngene, a Biocon subsidiary, is involved in accelerating a bunch of initiatives to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that is spreading around the world.There are at least six vaccines under development in India, of the total 100 around the world including from the likes of Sanofi, Altimmune, and Pfizer. “Indian vaccine programmes will take some time before they get into the clinical trials, I think between 6 to 9 months depending on the programme. At least the ones we are working on, I don’t think they can get to clinics before 9 months,” Kiran Mazumdar

After coronavirus lockdown, dining experience at restaurants will not remain the same as before. Social distancing norms will be in place as restaurants reduce their capacity by half and bring in new rules for dining.Hard Rock Cafe, which has 185 restaurants across India, has drafted a plan to ensure 3-feet distance between guests. Restaurants in India have been shut for over 40 days now, with only some working in minimal capacity for takeaways. According to reports, as many as half a million restaurants might not survive the extended lockdown.And restaurants are cognizant of the fact that survival won’t come without practicing strict social distancing norms. India’s restaurants are now preparing a post-covid-19 plan to open up. And the dining experience at these restaurants may not be the

Dating apps tell us how millennials are readjusting their lives in the wake of COVID-19.They are switching to virtual dating, which has helped couples to build an emotional connect with their partners and ‘slow dating’ is thriving now. As Coronavirus restrictions continue to be imposed across the country, singles around the world are craving to laugh, socialise, love and build a meaningful connection, now more than ever before. They are looking for someone to shoulder their worries with, from within the security of their four walls. Amid all this chaos, dating apps continue to play cupid and help millennials find love online.Now that people have more time to spare, singles are welcoming ‘slow dating’ and getting to develop an emotional connection with their partner before a physical one. They

The Vizag gas leak has left 10 people dead and more than 300 hospitalised.People ran to save their lives after realizing that they couldn’t breathe even inside their homes.Instead of waiting for official evacuation, people packed up whatever they could and tried to run as far as possible from the LG Polymers chemical plant.The following account is from a person living right next to the LG Polymers chemical plant.“We woke up to the gas smell from the plant,” recalls a Visakhapatnam gas leak survivor Balasouri K, who lives in a colony located right next to the LG Polymers chemical plant.“Living near the plant for many years, we can identify that it is coming from the plant. It happened earlier on a couple of occasions, but it was minor before. This time, it’s a major one,” Balasouri said.“My

ICICI Bank is scheduled to announce its fourth-quarter results on May 9.It's share price inreased by over 2% today morning during early trade.The private sector bank’s retail-focused lending puts it at higher risk of bad loans due to the effects of the coronavirus lockdown than its counterparts.Last quarter, ICICI Bank managed to post a profit of 158% and its provisions were down by 58%.ICICI Bank is set to post its fourth-quarter results on May 9 and the outlook seems grim with the banking sector bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. “Banking is the first sector to get hit and the last one to recover. We’re already in a phase of credit issues,” Siddarth Purohit, a banking analyst with Angel Broking, told Business Insider.ICICI Bank is one of top ten stocks to buy, according to Maquarie,

The tech major expects a $50 million to $70 million hit in the ongoing quarter due to the ransomware attack.The management projected margins to remain below 16-17% in 2020. Cognizant shares are down 17.80% from the recent peak on February 6. They have under-performed the Nasdaq which is down 0.66% year to date. IT major Cognizant has reported a 16.7% drop in its March quarter net income at $367 million, and said it expects a challenging demand environment throughout 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cognizant follows January-December as financial year. Its net profit was at $441 million in the March 2019 quarter.In 2020, the company plans to continue investments in developing digital skills and wants to hire about 20,000 entry-level hires to adjust the employee cost structure. 41% of the

The first mother’s day was celebrated in 1908 when a school teacher Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She pressed to accept Mother’s day as a modern holiday in the United States. Though she started the idea, she died protesting against the commercialisation of the event.Every second Sunday of May, we celebrate mother’s day to honour our mothers. This year, we will celebrate mother’s day on May 12. It might be different from any other mother’s day as most of us are under lockdown. The first mother’s day was celebrated in 1908 when a school teacher Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She pressed to accept Mother’s day as a modern holiday in United

Google Lens now allows users to copy handwritten text to their computers, learn new concepts and words.The update is being rolled out to both Android and iOS versions of the app.Google Lens is one of the search giant’s most useful products and now, it is getting some new productivity feature that will help you get some work done while you are stuck at home due to the coronavirus lockdown.The new features include the ability to copy handwritten notes to your computer, learning about new concepts and learning how to pronounce new words. While the first two features will be available for both Android and iOS users, the listen feature that allows you to learn pronunciations is currently limited to Android. 71071246Copy handwritten notes to your computerWhile Google Lens already allows users to

Moody's Investors Service said India’s Baa2 negative rating is unlikely to improve given the economic shock triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.However, the report noted that the COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated the impact of some of India’s existing evils.The $2.7 trillion economy, the seventh largest in the world, is riddled by low household income, high government debt, and weak policy reforms and implementation.Moody's Investors Service said India’s Baa2 negative rating ⁠— while cutting growth estimate for the year to 0.2% ⁠— down from our previous forecast of 2.5%. is unlikely to improve given the economic shock triggered by the coronavirus outbreak. Over the next five years, India’s government debt could be as high as 81% of the country’s gross domestic product, it said.However,

People in Visakhapatnam woke up with irritating throats, breathing problems after a major gas leak in LG Polymers located in the outskirts of the city.The gas tragedy brought back horrific memories of Bhopal Gas Tragedy that happened in 1984. As we hope for the situation to get back to normal, here are some film, documentaries and series to learn from past tragedies.A chemical gas plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, leaked putting at risk the lives of hundreds of people to the toxic styrene. At least 11 have been declared dead, many others faced irritating throats, breathing problems, fell unconscious while walking on the road and some others were trapped inside their tiny homes. The gas tragedy brought back horrific memories of Bhopal Gas Tragedy. As we hope for the situation to get back