Coronavirus | WHO suspends clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns
The World Health Organization said it had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure. The decision came after publication last week of a study in The Lancet which indicated that using the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their chances of dying, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
Deliberations on to resolve LAC tensions
Deliberations are continuing on a daily basis between military commanders of India and China on the ground in addition to other channels of communication to resolve the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), official sources said on Monday.
Flights to repatriate stranded Chinese nationals from June 2
China has announced plans to repatriate its nationals in India who have been unable to return because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic, with flights scheduled for the first week of June.
Coronavirus | Single-day spike continues its trend for the seventh day on Monday
India’s single-day spike continued its trend for the seventh day on Monday with over 6,900 new COVID-19 cases being reported along with more than 150 deaths. While this is the highest 24-hour spike so far, the tally now stands at 1,44,659 cases, 79,959 active cases, 60, 530 cured and 4,170 deaths.
Economic package is a mix of supply-side and demand-side measures: Dharmendra Pradhan
The oil industry is faced with an extraordinary situation. Our government’s view is to take a cautious and conscious approach of a balance in price, save it and use it for welfare, says Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
Coronavirus lockdown | 532 flights take off but over 50% seats go empty
Airlines ferried more than 39,000 passengers on 532 flights on Monday as domestic air travel was resumed after two months. But a large number of passengers were left stranded as airlines were forced to cancel half the flights they planned just hours before take-off due to poor co-ordination between the Centre and the States.
Reverse migration to villages has set economy back by 15 years, says JNU professor
India risks losing benefits of the demographic dividend by not creating enough jobs for new entrants, warns Professor Santosh K Mehrotra.
COVID-19 testing capacity up in States seeing huge migrants’ flow
The Union Health Ministry has admitted that Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha, currently witnessing large-scale return of migrant workers, and remote areas need aggressive COVID-testing capacity scale-up to clear any backlogs.
Route congestion issue sorted out: Railways
Following concerns over several instances of diversion of Shramik Special trains bound for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the Indian Railways on Monday said the issue of congestion on these routes had now been sorted out. The Railways had said that with 80% of Shramik Special trains going to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, there was network congestion on the routes, hence, some trains were diverted to alternative routes.
Producers Guild of India suggests stringent rules for film production
The Producers Guild of India has come up with a ‘Back to Action report’ recommending standard operating procedures to be instituted whenever the permission to resume production activities is granted by the government. The exhaustive report touches upon and offers guidelines for almost every department and professional at film and TV shoots.
Bharti Airtel parent eyes $1 bn from stake sale to pay off loans
Bharti Telecom, the promoter firm of Bharti Airtel, plans to raise $1 billion by selling a 2.75% stake in the mobile services provider, The Hindu has learnt. The block deal, which is likely to take place on Tuesday, will be conducted at a floor price of ₹558 per equity share through secondary placement, according to a person aware of the development.
Venezuela celebrates docking of tanker with Iran gasoline
Venezuelan authorities celebrated on Monday as the first of five Iranian tankers loaded with gasoline docked in the South American country, delivering badly needed fuel to the crisis-stricken nation that sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves. The gasoline shipments are arriving in defiance of stiff sanctions by the Trump administration against both nations.
