Hiring declines 18% in March, Delhi-NCR worst in job market
Overall hiring activity in India declined by 18 per cent in March, with travel and airlines, hospitality and retail industries witnessing a massive 56 per cent drop in offering jobs as compared to March last year, leading job portal Naukri.com said on Tuesday. The retail sector saw 50 per cent drop in hiring, followed by […]
Pell to walk free after Australia court quashes convictions
Canberra, Australia – Australia’s highest court on Tuesday quashed Cardinal George Pell’s convictions for child sexual assault paving the way for the 78-year-old to be released from prison, a decision experts warned could further undermine survivors’ trust in the court system. The judgement was read by Chief Justice Susan Kiefel to a near-empty High Court in […]
Coronavirus: NZ health minister breaks lockdown at beach
New Zealand’s health minister has called himself an “idiot” after breaking the country’s lockdown by driving his family to the beach. David Clark admitted the 12-mile (20km) drive was “a clear breach of the lockdown principles”. He offered his resignation to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, but kept his job because of the ongoing crisis. But […]
Assam MLA held for remarks calling COVID 19 hospitals worse than detention centres
Guwahati, Apr 7 (PTI) An opposition MLA in Assam was arrested on Tuesday for making “objectionable” remarks about the condition of quarantine facilities and hospitals treating COVID 19 patients, calling them worse than detention centres, police said. Aminul Islam, the All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF) legislator from Dhing constituency was apprehended early in the […]
Coronavirus: Too early to consider lockdown exit strategy, says Raab
It is too early to consider a strategy for exiting the coronavirus lockdown, the foreign secretary has said. Dominic Raab said the current measures were “beginning to work” – but shifting focus could mean “we won’t get through the peak as fast as we need to”. He added Boris Johnson remained in charge of the […]
JK Rowling reveals she had COVID-19 symptoms, now ‘fully recovered’
Harry Potter author JK Rowling on Monday revealed that she showed the symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, but now has “fully recovered”. The 54-year-old writer took to Twitter where she said she had been suffering from the infection for the last two weeks. Though she wasn’t tested, Rowling said, she was following her […]
Nobel winner Abhijit Banerjee to guide Mamata govt on beating lockdown impact on economy
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has engaged Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee to advise her government on economic situations and ways to tide over the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown. In his new role, he will lead the ‘Global Advisory Board on Covid Response Policy For Bengal’, a high-powered committee formed by Mamata Monday to rally expert advice. Other […]
How the 15th Finance Commission Muddied the Financial Response to COVID-19
On March 14, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared COVID-19 a notified disaster. This meant state governments could draw from the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF)* for relief measures during lockdown. It’s a useful announcement by any yardstick, given states are desperately short of funds. The devil, however, as always, is in the details. If […]
Coronavirus Pandemic: When, Where And How To Use Face Masks To Protect Yourself
The COVID-19 scare has led to a lot of confusion over the first line of defence: face masks. Even as hospitals and healthcare personnel on the frontline struggle to source proper respirators and medical masks, there are many who have bought or stocked up on these without really needing them. Others wear surgical or even […]
Coronavirus LIVE news updates: India sees 704 cases and 28 deaths in last 24 hours; biggest rise so far
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Live Updates: India recorded 704 cases and 28 deaths — highest single-day spike in the count of both — in the last 24 hours, Ministry of Health bulletin said. Briefing the press on Monday, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secreatry, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said about 63% of those who died of COVID-19 were of 60 years […]