Trump says will resume travelling next week

Trump says will resume travelling next week

Washington: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he’ll resume flying around the country from next week and looks forward to holding “wild” campaign rallies as soon as he can.

Trump told reporters in the White House that he is “going to Arizona next week and we look forward to that.” This will be his first cross-country trip since the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the United States.

He added that he will visit Ohio, one of the key swing states in the November presidential election, “very soon.” The Arizona trip is focused on the economic recovery effort and is not a campaign rally, “because it’s too soon” for crowded events in stadiums, Trump explained.

But the Republican — facing a tight re-election battle against Democratic challenger Joe Biden and burdened by dire approval ratings — made clear he wants to get back to his once frequent rallies as soon as possible.

“Hopefully in the not too distant future we’ll have some massive rallies and people will be sitting next to each other,” he said.

“I can’t imagine a rally where you have every fourth seat full…. That wouldn’t look too good,” he added.

“I hope that we’re going to be able to do some good old-fashioned 25,000 person rallies where everyone’s going wild because they love our country.”

At a meeting with industry leaders, Trump sounded an upbeat message, insisting that the US economy will quickly bounce back from the staggering costs of the shutdown required to stop the spreading novel coronavirus.

Despite some experts’ warnings that widespread social distancing will have to remain in effect until a vaccine is made, Trump predicted that the danger would fade by itself and said that the United States was equipped to extinguish any “embers.” “We’re looking for vaccines, we’re looking for therapeutics also,” he said. “I’m not relying on that (vaccines), I hope that’s going to happen.” “I want to get back (to a full economy) with or without (a vaccine), but obviously we have to wait till it’s gone. It will be gone,” he said.

Asked how the virus would be eradicated without a vaccine, which is not expected to be available soon, Trump responded: “It’s going to go. It’s going to leave, it’s going to be gone, it’s going to be eradicated.

BIAL facilitates safe transit of about 3,000 foreign nationals

BIAL facilitates safe transit of about 3,000 foreign nationals

Bengaluru: The Bangalore International Airport Limited has facilitated safe transit of nearly 3,000 foreign nationals with 22 flights transporting passengers to 17 destinations across the globe from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIA) during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

These flights were coordinated between governments to help foreign nationals, stranded in Bengaluru and across South India due to the nation-wide lockdown, return home.

In preparation for each of these flights, the Terminal and other passenger touchpoints were cleaned, fumigated and sanitised to ensure passenger safety, the BIAL said in a statement.

“With the support of BIAL staff at the Terminal, working with CISF, Immigration and Airline staff, it was ensured that passengers maintained social distance and had access to hand sanitisers and masks,” the BIAL said.

While Tokyo saw the largest number of passengers with JAL operating three flights over three consecutive days, Incheon (South Korea) was second, with Korean Air operating one flight, it said. The other destinations were Azerbaijan, Baghdad, Cairo, Colombo, Doha, Frankfurt, London, Male, Muscat, Paris, Paro (Bhutan), Riyadh, Rome and Stockholm and Tbilisi (Georgia).

The first evacuation from the KIA was to Frankfurt with Air India operating a flight on March 31.

Of these destinations, this was the first time the KIA facilitated flights to eight new cities which included Baku (Azerbaijan), Baghdad, Cairo, Incheon, Paro (Bhutan), Rome and Stockholm and Tbilisi (Georgia).

White House briefly “follows” twitter accounts of host country during Prez visit: Official

White House briefly “follows” twitter accounts of host country during Prez visit: Official

Washington: The White House Wednesday explained that its Twitter handle typically ‘follows’ the accounts of officials from host countries for a brief period during a presidential trip to retweet their messages in support of the visit.

During President Donald Trump’s visit to India in the last week of February, the official Twitter handle of the White House @WhiteHouse  had started ‘following’ the accounts of President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister’s office, the Indian Embassy in the US, the US Embassy in India and the US Ambassador to India, Ken Juster.

Early this week, the White House ‘unfollowed’ all these six Twitter handles.

“The White House Twitter account normally follows senior US government Twitter accounts, and others as appropriate. For example, during the time of a presidential visit, the account typically follows for a short time, the host country’s officials to retweet their messages in support of the visit,” a senior administration official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The official was responding to a question on the reasons for the White House ‘following’ and then ‘unfollowing’ the Twitter handles of President Kovind, PM Modi, the PMO, and other Indian officials.

The White House ‘unfollowing’ the Twitter accounts of President Kovind and PM Modi drew reactions on social media in India.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he was “dismayed” at the development.

“I’m dismayed by the “unfollowing” of our President & PM by the White House. I urge the Ministry of External Affairs to take note,” he said in a tweet on Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, the White House had 22 million followers. It has traditionally ben following 13 accounts including that of President Donald Trump and his official Twitter handle, the First Lady, the Vice President, the Second Lady, the new Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, the National Security Council and the former White House Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, among others.

Flipkart partners Meru for essentials delivery

Flipkart partners Meru for essentials delivery

New Delhi: Walmart-owned Flipkart on Wednesday, April 29 said it has partnered with cab operator Meru to deliver grocery and essential items to customers in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad amid the nationwide lockdown.

Previously, the e-commerce major had tied up with Uber for a similar service for people in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi.

“Flipkart and Meru have partnered to provide people access to grocery and essential items as people stay indoors, supporting ‘social distancing’ during the ongoing lockdown,” a statement said.

It added that this partnership will help in delivery to Flipkart customers at their doorstep across Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad through the safe and sanitized supply chain.

“Flipkart Group is committed to customers as India fights this unprecedented battle. This partnership with Meru is a result of our teams exploring new, innovative ways to drive value for our ecosystem of sellers, brands, partners, and customers to ensure the safe and swift availability of grocery and essential goods,” Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said.

“The company has a very secure and safe supply chain where standard operating procedures are followed diligently,” he added.

“Meru will use its fleet to ensure the timely and safe delivery of essentials to Flipkart’s large customer base in a hassle-free manner. This service will also offer our driver-partners an additional earning opportunity during this challenging time,” Meru Mobility Tech founder and CEO Neeraj Gupta said.

“In line with the government guidelines, Meru is providing its ozone sanitized fleet to help Flipkart with their deliveries. The dispatch hubs have been installed with Ozone Air Purifier, encouraging all driver-partners to sanitize their cabs,” the statement said.

“Meru driver-partners will undergo Flipkart’s training module for a better understanding of its processes for safe and timely delivery of the grocery items, while the cab operator is educating and updating its driver-partners on various preventive measures like using alcohol-based sanitizers and wearing face masks to curb the spread of the virus,” it added.

E-commerce companies are allowed to sell only essential items like grocery, healthcare, and pharmaceutical products amid the nationwide lockdown – likely to end on May 3 – that has been imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus infection.

Fine with IPL in empty stadiums if it ensures fans’ safety: Rahane

Fine with IPL in empty stadiums if it ensures fans’ safety: Rahane

New Delhi: India and Delhi Capitals batsman Ajinkya Rahane won’t mind playing the IPL in empty stadiums if it ensures the safety of the fans.

Speaking in an Instagram Live session arranged by Delhi Capitals, Rahane said: “COVID-19 pandemic has taught everyone that unexpected things can happen, therefore we need to be happy about what we are doing, and should value what we have.

“As for IPL or any other sport, I feel it could be played without spectators. All of us have played domestic cricket in almost empty stadiums, so that’s an experience all cricketers are used to,” he said.

“Of course we are nothing without our fans, and that’s why their safety is of utmost importance. Even if they get to watch some Live action from home, I am sure that will be an enjoyable experience as well. The safety of fans is key, and if we need to play in empty stadiums for that, we are open to doing it,” Rahane said.

IPL 2020 has been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but there is a possibility that it is played behind closed doors in September.

Speaking on how he has been spending time during the nationwide lockdown, India’s Test specialist said he is enjoying bonding with his wife and daughter.

“I’m trying to be as positive as possible during this lockdown, and staying at home with my wife and daughter. It’s given me an opportunity to bond with them, and I am also able to help my wife in cooking and cleaning. I’m also trying to revive my karate skills, something that I pursued as a child. It definitely helps me in maintaining my agility and fitness, and I am enjoying it a lot,” said the 31-year-old.

The experienced middle-order batsman was bought by Delhi Capitals last year before the IPL Auction and says he is really excited about playing for the franchise.

“It is something I’ve really been eager about, and it has stemmed in because of the things I’ve heard about the team from the likes of Ishant, Shikhar, and Shreyas. They’ve told me that it’s like a huge family where everyone is always backing each other, and enjoying each other’s successes,” he said.

Talking about his excitement on playing under head coach Ricky Ponting, Rahane said he has always admired the Australian legend.

“My idols growing up were definitely Rahul Sir and Sachin Sir, but I’ve always admired Ricky Sir also. I used to try to copy his batting and fielding styles. And therefore, I’m really looking forward to working under him. I’m sure he will help me immensely in my batting as well as overall leadership, said the former captain of Rajasthan Royals.

Tokyo Olympics 2021 ‘difficult’ if pandemic not contained: Abe

Tokyo Olympics 2021 ‘difficult’ if pandemic not contained: Abe

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday it would be “difficult” to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics if the coronavirus pandemic is not contained.

The premier’s remarks came a day after Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said in an interview with local sports daily the Olympics will have to be canceled if the coronavirus pandemic isn’t brought under control by next year.

Abe told parliament: “We must hold the Olympics as a testament to humanity’s victory over the coronavirus.”

“If we’re not in such a situation, it’s difficult (to hold) the Games,” he said, insisting on the importance of developing vaccines and drugs.

He added: “We’ve been saying we will hold the Olympics and Paralympics in which athletes and spectators can participate safely and in a complete form. I think (the Olympics) cannot be held in a complete form if the pandemic is not contained.”

The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games, which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021.Mori was asked by the Nikkan Sports daily whether the Games could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, to which he said: “No.”

“In that case, it’s canceled,” he said in the interview published on Tuesday.

A Tokyo 2020 spokesman told reporters also on Tuesday that Mori’s remarks were based on “the chairman’s own thoughts”.

Postponing the Games is an enormous logistical and financial challenge, with the final price tag for the delay still unclear.

The pandemic has caused 217,000 deaths around the globe. In Japan, the virus has infected around 14,000 and killed almost 400.

The country is under a month-long state of emergency and officials have asked non-essential businesses to shut their doors.

Big Fat Indian weddings now taking place on internet

Big Fat Indian weddings now taking place on internet

New Delhi: ‘Jab ladka ladki raazi, toh kya karega qaazi’ (When the girl and boy are ready what can the judge do) goes a popular phrase. When Avinash and Kirti decided to tie the nuptial knot, not even the nationwide lockdown could stop them from doing so.

Avinash and Kirti, who have known each other for over 3.5 years, had initially planned a grand wedding celebration in Satna, Madhya Pradesh with a guest list of over 8,000 people. When the nationwide lockdown loomed over as a threat to the plans, the couple decided to take their vows digitally.

Their wedding ritual was conducted via video call in Ghaziabad, while the priest solemnised the wedding from his home in Mumbai. The guests blessed the couple online from within the confines of their homes.

“We were already determined to get married no matter what the scale would be, this April. So, we didn’t have any second thoughts once we decided to go ahead with a virtual wedding,” Avinash said.

The couple added that their parents were initially hesitant but they reassured them that none of the rituals or ceremonies will be left out, and later the parents agreed.

The wedding — organised by matrimonial platform Shaadi.com — was attended by over 200 participants virtually from across 10 countries. Post the ceremonies, food delivery was organised to the houses of guests to distribute sweets and food.

COVID-19 has disrupted businesses across the world, including India. With the entire nation under a lockdown, the multi-billion dollar wedding industry has also come to a halt, impacting the plans of hundreds of couples who had zeroed in on a wedding date months before based on astrological charts.

Weddings in India are a huge affair with parents usually sparing no expense to marry off their children in style. With guest lists usually running into hundreds and celebrations spilling over days, weddings have evolved to being conducted in exotic destinations, bringing in celebrity performers and sending invites that itself cost a mini fortune.

Reports suggest that India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani spent USD 100 million on his daughter Isha’s wedding that was attended by film and sports celebrities and industrialists and included performances by Beyonce.

Sushen and Keerti, who met online in 2019, wanted to prove to the world that love knows no boundaries and that they could be together while being responsible citizens and following all the laws laid out.

This couple had planned a destination wedding at Jim Corbett National Park in April but the lockdown forced them to change their plans. They worked with Shaadi.com and Leo Burnett and sent out e-invites for guests, and even took online tutorial for mehendi (a ceremony before the wedding).

“Our friends and relatives prepared various performances virtually for our sangeet ceremony. Finally, we had a ‘panditji’ who performed all the rituals in presence of over 100 guests,” said Sushen.

Apart from their friends, the live telecast online got over 16,000 views. Sushen is now waiting for the lockdown to end, so that Keerti can join him in Mumbai to begin the next phase of their lives.

Shaadi.com Director Marketing Adhish Zaveri said for people around the world and more so in India, their wedding date is of immense importance.

“Not just the mahurat, but also the fact that so much planning has gone into it for so many months…we’ll make it happen on that exact date and we’ll get you married regardless of the lockdown, just that it’ll be done virtually,” he added.

‘Weddings From Home’ seems to have gained popularity with one more lined up in the coming week and about eight-nine others being in discussion.

And the company isn’t leaving any stone unturned to make these weddings a success.

Weddings From Home is a format that is for anyone and everyone who has access to the internet, he said.

“The bride (Kirti) was in Bareilly, the groom (Avinash) in Mumbai, panditji in Raipur, dhol-tasha artist from Delhi and guests from all over the world. It was truly representative of India, cutting across all divides,” Zaveri said.

Smokers may be living on edge of contracting COVID-19 infection: IIT study

Smokers may be living on edge of contracting COVID-19 infection: IIT study

New Delhi: Smokers could be living on the edge of contracting COVID-19 infection, according to a study by scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur, exploring the neuroinvasive nature of the deadly coronavirus.

The study also rings warning bells for asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 with anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste) to self-quarantine themselves as soon as they feel these symptoms and consult specialists before they turn into carriers.

According to the study titled “Neurological insights of COVID-19 pandemic” published in a renowned international journal published by American Chemical Society (ACS), loss of smell and taste of infected patients makes their entire Central Nervous System (CNS) and the underlying structures in the brain more prone to viral infection with devastating effects.

The study led by Surajit Ghosh, professor at IIT Jodhpur, has pointed out that coronavirus is known to interact with a specific human receptor known as hACE2 (Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2) which also happens to be the entry point of the virus and has an almost ubiquitous presence in most human organs ranging from lung to nasal mucosa. The brain is also known to express this receptor.

“The likeliness of COVID-19 patients to contract neurological infections can be exacerbated by secondary factors like smoking. According to a pilot study, smoking can enhance the chances of contracting COVID-19 based neuro infections due to the functional interactions between human receptor and nicotinic receptor,” Ghosh said.

“The same study reports that due to the coexpression of human receptor and nicotinic receptor in many cells, there exists a functional link between them. So, when smokers smoke, it augments the expression of the hACE2 due to the nicotine stimulation,” he added.

The team has suggested brain autopsies of COVID-19 infected patients and analysis of their cerebrospinal fluid.

“While performing autopsies on brains of COVID-19 patients, it would be wise to conduct smoker versus nonsmoker based analysis as this will help to shed light on smoking being an additional risk factor in COVID-19 patients along with age and already existing ailments,” the study said.

The researchers have attributed the loss of smell or taste to the fact that nose and mouth both are very important entry points of the virus, which then may be slowly making its way to the olfactory bulb using the neurons of the olfactory mucosa.

“The olfactory bulb located in the forebrain is the structure that is chiefly responsible for the sense of smell. This explains the loss of smell associated with many asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 and also may be exposing the CNS to viral infection,” Ghosh said.

“A recently conducted study on brain scans (CT and MRI) of a patient infected by COVID-19 virus that shows a rare encephalopathy called ANE, which leads to brain dysfunction with seizures and mental disorientation. It indicates that in the presence of human ACE2 receptors in nervous system, the brain may be infected by the virus through olfactory bulbs and also through other peripheral nerve terminals or simply blood circulation and may breach the blood-brain barrier to innervate and attack the system,” he said.

“The virus may also completely destroy the medulla oblongata of the hindbrain, which regulates breathing, heart, and blood vessel function, he added.

Around the world, confirmed infections of coronavirus stood at more than 3.1 million – including 1 million in the US – and the confirmed global death toll topped 217,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University,” he said.

Men may have higher risk of hospitalisation, death due to COVID-19 than women: Study

Men may have higher risk of hospitalisation, death due to COVID-19 than women: Study

Beijing: Men and women are at equal risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, but men are more likely to suffer severe effects of the virus and die, according to a study which suggests that older male patients with COVID-19 may need additional supportive care.

While the elderly and those with certain pre-existing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure were reported in earlier research to be at greater risk of death due to COVID-19, the new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, examined gender differences in patients infected with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

In the study, scientists, including Jin-Kui Yang from the Beijing Tongren Hospital in China, assessed trends among COVID-19 patients who died. “Early in January we noticed that the number of men dying from COVID-19 appeared to be higher than the number of women,” said Yang.

“This raised a question: are men more susceptible to getting or dying from COVID-19? We found that no-one had measured gender differences in COVID-19 patients, and so began investigating,” he added. According to the researchers, it is still not completely understood why some people are more severely affected by the virus than others.

But based on their observations, they said that additional care may be required for older men or those with underlying conditions. Yang and his team analyzed several patient datasets to see if there were differences in how men and women respond to COVID-19. This included data on 43 patients who the doctors had treated themselves and a publicly available dataset on 1056 COVID-19 patients.

Since the virus responsible for COVID-19 is similar to the virus behind the 2003 SARS outbreak, and attaches to the same protein, called ACE2, on the cells it attacks, the doctors also analyzed a dataset of 524 SARS patients from 2003. Among the COVID-19 patients, the scientists noted in the study that older people and those with specific underlying conditions tended to have more severe disease and were more likely to die.

They said the age and numbers of infected men and women were similar, but men tended to have more severe disease. Analyzing the largest COVID-19 dataset, the scientists also found that over 70 per cent of the patients who died were men, meaning that men may have almost 2.5 times the death rate of women. They said being male could be a significant risk factor for worse disease severity, regardless of age.

In the SARS dataset from 2003, the researchers found a similar trend of significantly higher mortality rate amongst males compared with females. Yang and his team explained that the levels of ACE2, the protein involved in the viral attack in both SARS and COVID-19, tend to be present in higher levels in men, and also patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, all of whom have worse outcomes in COVID-19.

However, the scientists said further research is needed to determine why men with COVID-19 fare worse than women. Citing the limitations of the study, the researchers said it had a small sample size, and larger studies are needed to confirm the results.

But they added that the current research is the first preliminary indication that the male gender could be a significant risk factor for COVID-19 severity and death. “We recommend that additional supportive care and prompt access to the intensive care unit may be necessary for older male patients,” Yang said.

Twitter offers data to researchers studying Covid-19

Twitter offers data to researchers studying Covid-19

San Francisco: Twitter said Wednesday, April 30 it would allow researchers to access data on real-time conversations about the coronavirus pandemic to help deepen their understanding of the disease.

The project is aimed at gathering information about the spread of the illness, assessing the emergency response and communication trends during the crisis, and tackling misinformation.

“This is a unique dataset that covers many tens of millions of tweets daily,” the US social network said in a blog.

“The conversations happening on Twitter are highly insightful and have the potential to help the world better understand the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Access to Twitter’s real-time data could also help develop artificial intelligence tools for scientists working to quell the global outbreak.

“Public conversation can help the world learn faster, solve problems better and realize we’re all in this together,” Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said.

European Commission vice president Vera Jourova, who is responsible for disinformation issues, welcomed the initiative.

“I have constantly underlined the importance for researchers to have better access to useful non-personal data and tools,” she said in a statement to AFP.

“This is key to understanding the spread of disinformation,” she added.

Top 10 pandemic movies to binge in lockdown

Top 10 pandemic movies to binge in lockdown

Cinema or any form of art often imitates what happens in real life. As the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading throughout the world, there are many movies that were based on pandemics or disasters that are gaining much recognition amid lockdowns imposed in many countries.

The films such as Hollywood blockbuster “Contagion” and Malayalam Thriller “The Virus” is getting popularity as people started watching these movies. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Contagion is one of the most popular movies being streamed around the world.