Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to discuss the coordinated international efforts required to tackle the spread of deadly coronavirus. The deadly virus that first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year has claimed over 4,600 lives and infected more than 124,330 people across 118 countries and territories. Modi also expressed concern on UK Health Minister Nadine Dorries testing positive for coronavirus, and wished her a speedy recovery. Both the leaders also agreed to further strengthen India-UK strategic partnership through the new decade. They concurred that it would be useful to…
Author: Our Correspondent
office in Bhopal on Thursday evening and called it an “emotional day”. He also thanked the BJP “family” and said he had received “blessings from PM Modiji, (JP) Nadda saheb (sir) and Amit (Shah) bhai (brother)”. Mr Scindia, who landed in Bhopal earlier on Thursday, was greeted by a massive show of support that included firecrackers as his cavalcade wound its way through the city, a sign of the influence he still commands and that the Congress has now lost. However, in a reminder that wounds caused by his defection were still fresh, the former Guna MP was also shown…
A 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi in Karnataka died on March 10 night has been confirmed positive for coronavirus. This is the first virus-linked death in India. “Contact tracing, isolation and other measures are being taken. Telangana government has also been informed as he went to a hospital there,” the commissioner said, according to the news agency. The man had recently returned from Saudi Arabia. Earlier, the district health and family welfare department said the man was suspected to be infected with coronavirus. On his return, he was down with fever and took treatment at a private hospital. Later, on the advice…
The wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office said late Thursday. “Sophie Gregoire Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement. The couple are staying home until the tests results are returned. Mr Trudeau is not exhibiting any symptoms. There are currently approximately 103 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Canada. Under his doctor’s advice, he is continuing daily activities while monitoring his health but “out of an abundance of caution” he is working from home, the statement said. A…
The remaining two one-dayers between India and South Africa are likely to be played in empty stadiums in Lucknow and Kolkata due to the dreaded novel coronavirus pandemic. The matches are scheduled to be held on March 15 (Lucknow) and March 18 (Kolkata). The sports ministry has issued an advisory that in case it’s unavoidable to postpone a sporting event, then it is preferable that it be conducted without a large public gathering. “The BCCI is in receipt of the sports ministry’s advisory. Obviously, if we are advised to avoid large gatherings, we will have to abide by it,” a…
China’s coronavirus epidemic has passed its peak, its top health commission said on Thursday, as it logged just eight new infections in Hubei province, the first time the epicenter of the outbreak recorded a daily tally of less than 10. With the marked slowdown of the spread of the virus, more businesses have reopened with authorities cautiously easing strict containment measures. Hubei province, where the coronavirus emerged late last year, announced on Thursday a further loosening of travel restrictions and will also allow some industries to resume production in two of its cities and two counties. “Broadly speaking, the peak…
Iran on Thursday reported 75 new deaths from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, bringing the death toll to 429 in the worst-hit country in the Middle East. “We have identified 1,075 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, meaning that there are 10,075 infected people in the country. The death toll is 429,” Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state television. The outbreak has infected a host of senior officials, politicians, clerics and members of the elite Revolutionary Guards in Iran, the fourth worst-affected nation after China, South Korea and Italy.…
The confirmed cases of coronavirus continue to rise in Pakistan as at least 19 confirmed cases have been reported from different parts of the country. The number of people being kept in the isolation at the Pakistan-Iran border has reached at least 4,000. Taftan border with Iran has been closed while the pilgrims returning from Iran are being housed in the premises of Pakistan House. he Pakistan government has set up a 100-bed hospital near the border and has deployed a mobile-testing lab to tackle the spread of the deadly virus. Pakistan has also closed its border with Afghanistan after…
Rashtrapati Bhavan has been closed off for the general public and tourists. The decision, taken in view of the spread of deadly novel coronavirus Covid-19, means that the general public will not be able to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan for exploratory tour visits. “As a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus, the Rashtrapati Bhavan will remain closed for exploratory tour visits from tomorrow, March 13, till further notice,” President Ram Nath Kovind’s Twitter account notified on Thursday. The Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex (RBMC) and the Change of Guard ceremony have also been closed for general public till further…
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government over its handling of the economy and in tackling coronavirus, and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “sleeping at the wheel”. On the state of the economy, he said it is just the beginning of a “tsunami” and things would be worse going forward. “We can see what is happening to stock market. The economy has been destroyed by the Modi government,” Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament. “What we have seen is only the beginning of a tsunami, things will be worse,” he said. The prime minister is not speaking…