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BMW reports first-quarter profit rise as coronavirus saps demand
- BMW AG on Wednesday reported a 133% rise in first-quarter operating profit, due to the absence of a one-off provision in the year-earlier period, but said the impact of the coronavirus could erode demand and profit.
- Earnings before interest and taxes rose to 1.38 billion euros ($1.50 billion) versus 589 million euros in the same period a year earlier. Its earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin for its autos division reached 1.3% from a negative 1.6% margin in the year-earlier period.
NYC's subways shut down for virus cleaning
- New York City's subway system went silent in the early morning hours of Wednesday, as part of a plan for the normally round-the-clock system to shut down for train cleaning.
- The trains, which had been running on a reduced schedule since late March, are now going to be stopped from 1 am to 5 am each day.
- Fewer trains would be running in the overnight hours anyway, but the shutdown allows for daily cleaning and for city workers to move homeless people who have been more visible in subway cars during the coronavirus.
Son of Maulana Saad (Tablighi Jamaat chief) was interrogated by Delhi Police Crime Branch yesterday: Delhi Police Sources
206 new cases reported in Delhi, state count stands at 5,104
Total 1468 patients have recovered, while 17 are on ventilator. The doubling rate of COVID-19 in Delhi is 11 days now, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain.
All Departments are requested to keep in abeyance all proposals till June 30 which are not related to preventive measures for maintaining smooth functioning of essential services & no proposal for relaxation/approval be submitted to Finance Department: Finance Department, Delhi Govt
Disneyland in Shanghai will reopen May 11
India's services activity collapses as coronavirus palayses global economy -PMI
- India's services activity suffered a shock collapse in April as the coronavirus lockdown crippled global demand, causing a historic spike in layoffs and reinforcing fears of a deep recession in Asia's third-largest economy, a private survey showed.
- The grim result for the industry, the engine of economic growth and jobs, underlined the pandemic's sweeping impact across India as authorities extended a nationwide lockdown, in effect since March 28, until May 17.
- The Nikkei/IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers' Index plunged to an eye-popping 5.4 in April from March's 49.3, an unprecedented contraction since the survey first began over 14 years ago.
Domestic manufacturers can produce 2.5 lakh PPE, 2 lakh N-95 masks per day, GoM informed
Domestic manufacturers have reached the capacity of producing nearly 2.5 lakh PPE and 2 lakh N-95 masks per day which is sufficient to meet the country's requirement in dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic in the near future, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 has been informed.
The Wuhan lab at the heart of the US-China virus spat
- The Chinese laboratory accused by top American officials of being the source of the coronavirus pandemic conducts research on the world's most dangerous diseases.
- US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both claimed that there is evidence the pathogen came from the lab in Wuhan -- the city where the disease was first detected late last year.
- But the World Health Organization said Washington had offered no evidence to support the "speculative" claims, and scientists believe the coronavirus jumped from animals to humans, possibly at a Wuhan market selling wild animals.
Can Italian infrastructure reboot post-virus economy?
- A sleek new bridge in Genoa built in record time is being acclaimed in Italy as a model for rebuilding the economy by investing in major infrastructure projects.
- Such stimulus is sorely needed as the country slides towards its worst recession since World War II because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- The government admits it badly needs to renovate crumbling roads, bridges and railways, and doing so could also save lives. Yet the possible impediments are many -- from funding to political will, bureaucracy and a recent safety reports scandal.
Thailand reports one new coronavirus cases, one new death
Buddha's message of unity, service to others important as humanity suffers from COVID-19: UN chief
Lord Buddha's message of unity, service to others is more important today as the humanity suffers from the COVID-19 pandemic and it is only by working together that nations can stop the spread, recover from the deadly coronavirus, the UN chief said in his message for the Day of Vesak.
South Korea returns largely to normal as outbreak controlled
- South Korea returned largely to normal Wednesday as workers went back to offices, and museums and libraries reopened under eased social distancing rules after new coronavirus cases dropped to a trickle.
- The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China and while it never imposed a compulsory lockdown, strict social distancing had been widely observed since March.
35 new cases in Rajasthan, total number rises to 3,193
Aarogya Setu team issues a statement on data security of the mobile application
Sensex down by 294.13 points, currently at 31,159.38
South Korea reports only two new COVID-19 cases
- South Korea has reported two fresh cases of the new coronavirus as its outbreak continues to slow.
- Figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday brought national totals to 10,806 infections and 255 virus-related deaths. The KCDC says both new cases were detected during screening at airports and that no fresh local transmissions were reported from South Korean cities and towns.
Trump admin ignored concern over hydroxychloroquine import from in India, Pak: Fired US scientist
- A fired American scientist has alleged that the Trump administration ignored the concern of doctors in the US over the importation of hydroxychloroquine from "uninspected factories" in India and Pakistan and flooded the country with the "unproven and potentially dangerous" anti-malarial drug.
- In a complaint filed on Tuesday before the US Office of Special Counsel, which oversees the protection of whistleblowers, Rick Bright alleged that top officials of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) repeatedly ignored his messages and that of others over the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medicines like hydroxychloroquine in particular.
US infection rate rising outside New York as states open up
- Take the New York metropolitan area's progress against the coronavirus out of the equation and the numbers show the rest of the US is moving in the wrong direction, with the known infection rate rising even as states move to lift their lockdowns, an Associated Press analysis found Tuesday.
- New confirmed infections per day in the U.S. exceed 20,000, and deaths per day are well over 1,000, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
Total cases in India climb to 49,391
- Active cases: 33,514
- Cured/Discharged : 14,182
- Deaths: 1,694
- Migrated: 1
Airbnb is cutting 25% of staff amid global travel slump
- Airbnb Inc. is cutting 25% of its workforce as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pummel the travel sector.
- About 1,900 Airbnb employees across the world will be affected, Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky wrote in an email to staff Tuesday. Those employees’ last day will be Monday, May 11, the email said.
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 947 to 164,807 - RKI
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 947 to 164,807, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 165 to 6,996, the tally showed.
Egypt reopens slowly to revive pandemic-hit economy
- Egypt's economy had just started to recover after years of political turmoil and militant attacks when the coronavirus crisis hit, impacting especially its vital tourism sector.
- Now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government has loosened a strict curfew for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in an effort to kickstart North Africa's largest economy.
- Having shuttered shops and cafes in late March and forced millions of civil servants to stay home, it is slowly reversing some of these measures, bringing back many state workers and extending the trading hours of shops and malls.
Family of dead crew member with virus sues Royal Caribbean
The family of a cruise crew member who died after testing positive for COVID-19 filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises on Tuesday saying the company failed to protect its employees as the pandemic ravaged sailings around the world.
More than 15,000 COVID-19 deaths in Latin America: AFP tally
- More than 15,000 people have been killed by the novel coronavirus in Latin America and the Caribbean as of 0230 GMT Wednesday, according to an AFP tally based on official reports.
- Across the region more than 282,000 COVID-19 cases have been officially reported.
- Topping the death toll list is Brazil, with 7,921 fatalities and 114,715 cases; followed by Mexico with 2,271 fatalities and Ecuador with 1,569 deaths.
UK scientist behind lockdown quits after breaking rules
- A top scientist who advised British leaders on coronavirus lockdown measures said on Tuesday he had resigned from a key government panel after admitting to breaking the country's rules on social distancing.
- Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist on the advisory team helping the UK coordinate its pandemic response, stepped down following media reports that he had allowed a woman to visit him at home.
Morocco launches fleet of drones to tackle virus from the sky
- Morocco has rapidly expanded its fleet of drones as it battles the coronavirus pandemic, deploying them for aerial surveillance, public service announcements and sanitisation.
- "This is a real craze. In just weeks, demand has tripled in Morocco and other countries in the region," said Yassine Qamous, chief of Droneway Maroc, African distributor for leading Chinese drone company DJI.
One new positive case & 1 death reported in Odisha today. The total number of positive cases in the state is now at 177, of which 115 are active cases while 60 patients have recovered. Death toll is at 2: State Health Department
Section 144 to remain imposed in Ghaziabad district till May 31
Punishable offence if Aarogya Setu App not installed on phones
Amazon worker at New York warehouse dies of COVID-19
- An Amazon worker at a warehouse in New York where employees called for greater coronavirus safety measures has died of COVID-19, the e-commerce giant said Tuesday.
- "We are deeply saddened by the loss of an associate at our site in Staten Island, NY," Amazon spokesperson Lisa Levandowski said in a statement emailed to AFP.
Disney takes $1.4 bn coronavirus hit, sets date to reopen Shanghai park
- Walt Disney Co estimated on Tuesday that global measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic cut profits by $1.4 billion, mostly from its shuttered theme parks, but said it would reopen Shanghai Disneyland to a reduced number of visitors next week.
- It is unclear when Disney's other parks in Asia, the United States and France would again welcome visitors, executives said, or when the company's range of idled businesses including retail stores and cruise ships would return.
- Disney said it will not pay a dividend for the first half of the fiscal year, which will preserve $1.6 billion in cash assuming it had kept the dividend constant at 88 cents per share.
WH begins talks on winding down coronavirus task force, says VP Pence
- The Trump administration has initiated talks on winding down the White House Task Force on Coronavirus and gradually delegating its responsibilities to the relevant federal agencies, US Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday.
- Pence leads the task force.
- "I think we are having conversations about that and about what the proper time is for the task force to complete its work and for the ongoing efforts to take place on an agency-by-agency level," Pence told a select group of reporters.
362 medical officers were found to be absent from Bihar hospitals
In the light of necessity to monitor & maintain alertness in order to contain Coronavirus, all kinds of leaves (except maternity leave and study leave) of all medical officers, nurses, paramedics and grade 4 staff stand cancelled till May 31: Dept of Health, Bihar govt
China reports 2 new coronavirus cases, 20 new asymptomatic cases
- China reported 2 new coronavirus cases for May 5 and 20 new asymptomatic cases, data from the national health authority showed on Wednesday.
- This compared with 1 new coronavirus case and 15 new asymptomatic cases reported a day earlier. The two new cases were so-called imported cases involving travellers from overseas, compared with one such case a day earlier.
- China's total number of coronavirus cases now stands at 82,883, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,633, the National Health Commission said in a statement.
US Treasury to distribute $4.8 bln in pandemic funds to tribal governments
The U.S. Treasury Department will begin distributing $4.8 billion in pandemic-relief funds to Native American tribal governments in all U.S. states on Tuesday, the Treasury and Interior Departments said in a joint statement.
US coronavirus deaths rise by 2,333 in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins
2200 liquor shops will open except 15 shops in Containment Zones: Telangana CM
Central Government has increased excise duties by Rs 10 per litre on petrol and Rs 13 per litre on diesel
Movement for all non-essential activities in the jurisdiction of the Police Commissionerate Bhubaneswar-Cuttack shall remain strictly prohibited between 7 pm to 7 am till May 17: Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack, Odisha
A Shramik special train, carrying around 1182 people, left from Rajkot yesterday for Uttar Pradesh's Ballia, yesterday
Mexico registers 1,120 new coronavirus cases, 236 deaths
Mexico registered 1,120 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday and 236 new deaths, a health official said, bringing the total in the country to 26,025 known cases and 2,507 deaths. However, Mexico has conducted a very low number of tests. The government said on Sunday that the real number of cases was above 104,000, according to a statistical model.
COVID-19 lockdown risks 1.4 mn extra TB deaths: Study
- The global lockdown caused by COVID-19 risks a "devastating" surge in tuberculosis cases, with nearly 1.4 million additional deaths from the world's biggest infectious killer by 2025, new research showed Wednesday.
- TB, a bacterial infection that normally attacks patients' lungs, is largely treatable yet still infects an estimated 10 million people every year.
- In 2018, it killed around 1.5 million people, according to the World Health Organization, including more than 200,000 children.
Trump urges US to re-open, British death toll hits 32,000
- President Donald Trump on Tuesday made his first major foray out of the White House since the coronavirus lockdown began, pushing for the US economy to reopen as Britain officially became the second worst-hit country.
- The growing US death toll is already more than 70,000 -- by far the highest globally -- while Britain's rose to 32,000, putting it above Italy in the grim ranking of national fatalities.
- Elsewhere in Europe, hard-hit Italy, Spain and France have reported a levelling off of figures, offering hope that life could slowly start returning to normal.
Argentina's confirmed COVID-19 cases top 5,000 as lockdown stalls spread
Argentina's confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus topped 5,000 on Tuesday, according to a daily health ministry report, though they remain far below the level of large neighboring countries Chile, Brazil and Peru.
Colombia extends COVID-19 lockdown by two weeks, allows additional sectors to start re-opening
- Colombia's mandatory quarantine will be extended by a further two weeks as it tries to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Ivan Duque said on Tuesday.
- The Andean country, which has reported more than 8,600 confirmed cases, leading to 378 deaths, began a national quarantine on March 24 but has extended it twice. It had been set to end on Monday.
MEA appoints state-level coordinators to facilitate returns of stranded Indians from abroad
- Ministry of External Affairs has appointed state-level coordinators to ensure close coordination with various ministries, state government, and the center during the return of hundreds of thousands of Indians stranded around the world because of the coronavirus pandemic.
- The ministry has constituted a team of 17 members from the Ministry of External Affairs to undertake the coordination of repatriation of Indian nationals after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced its plans to evacuate over 14,000 people from 13 different countries.
- The MEA has appointed Harish Parvathaneni as a coordinator for Andhra Pradesh, Alok Ranjan Jha for Bihar, Neena Malhotra for Delhi and Haryana, Dinesh Patnaik for Gujarat, Yogeshwar Sangwan for J&K and Ladakh.
Qatar Airways planning substantial job cuts -company notice
- Qatar Airways is planning to cut a significant number of jobs because travel has been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, and told cabin crew to prepare for redundancies, according to a company notice seen by Reuters.
- The state-owned airline, one of few global carriers still operating scheduled services, said in March it was burning through its cash reserves and would eventually seek government aid.