LIVE! 69-yr-old woman dies of coronavirus in Delhi

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Fri, 13 March 2020

69-yr-old woman dies of coronavirus in Delhi

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22:33 69-yr-old woman dies of coronavirus in Delhi

JUST IN: 69-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus infection dies in Delhi, say Health Ministry and Delhi government officials.

More details awaited. -- PTI

22:30 Europe is now epicentre of coronavirus: WHO

Director-General, World Health Organisation: Europe has now become epicenter of COVID19 pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.

More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic.

Our message to countries continues to be: you must take a comprehensive approach. Not testing alone. Not contact-tracing alone. Not quarantine alone. Not social distancing alone. Do it all. -- ANI

The government will send an Air India flight to Milan on Saturday to bring back around 200-250 Indians stranded in the Italian city due to the coronavirus outbreak there, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said.

'GoI will send an Air India flight tomorrow afternoon to evacuate Indians stuck in Milan due to #Covid19. We expect to bring back around 200-250 passengers by this flight,' Muraleedharan said in a tweet on Friday.

A senior Civil Aviation official said the flight would take off around noon or 1 pm and it will land on Sunday morning at 7.45 am at the Delhi airport.

The coronavirus outbreak, declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, has led to more than 4,000 deaths globally.

The government on Wednesday suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

COVID-19 cases across India have risen to more than 80. -- PTI

The government on Friday declared masks, including N95, and hand sanitisers as 'essential commodities' in the wake of the coronavirus scare leading to shortages and black marketing of these items.

These items will remain under essential commodities segment till June-end, a move aimed at ensuring availability at reasonable prices and cracking down on hoarders/black marketeers.

The government has notified an order under the Essential Commodities Act to declare masks (2 ply and 3 ply surgical masks, N95 masks) and hand santisers as essential commodities up to June 30, 2020.

The decision has empowered the Centre as well states to regulate production, quality, distributions of masks and hand sanitisers, and also to smoothen sale and availability of these items, and carry out operations against speculators.

The step has been taken in view of the 'ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 and concern of the logistics for COVID-19 management, particularly during last couple of weeks, and that masks and hand sanitizers have been noted to either not available with most of the vendors in the market or are available with difficult difficulty at exorbitant prices', said the government order.

An offence under the Essential Commodities Act can attract imprisonment up to 7 years. -- PTI

21:53 Coronavirus at containment stage: Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that the novel coronavirus outbreak was at the containment stage, adding that the Centre and the Delhi government had been working together to deal with it.

Addressing a one-day session of the Delhi Assembly, the chief minister said his government had been taking every step to check the spread of the pandemic.

"We have closed schools, cinema halls, universities... to contain the spread of coronavirus," Kejriwal told the Assembly.

"We have been taking all precautionary measures and people have been supporting us."

"It is good that coronavirus is at the containment stage. The Centre and the Delhi government are working together to deal with it," he said.

Kejriwal underscored that healthy people do not need to wear masks and precautionary measures, especially regular washing of hands, could help deal with the deadly disease.

"If you wear a mask, you may touch it and there's is a fear of getting infected," the chief minister said.

"Only infected people should wear mask."

Health Minister Satyender Jain said more than 500 beds had been readied for COVID-19 cases.

Private hospitals should be allowed to run testing laboratories, he added. -- PTI

The Indian Army has postponed all recruitment rallies by a month, and has asked its personnel to travel only for essential duties in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak, army sources said on Friday.

The sources added that instructions have been issued to all concerned to accord adequate focus on health security and all ranks must take precautions to avoid infection.

"All recruitment rallies will be postponed by one month," a source said.

Besides this, travel by personnel has also been restricted but only for essential duties.

They are also advised to choose video-conference facilities instead of travel.

Command headquarters have also been instructed to establish adequate quarantine facilities at following locations to support plans of the government.

Accordingly, quarantine facilities have been established at Manesar (300 beds), Jodhpur (1000), Jaisalmer (1000), Jhansi (1000), Binnaguri (300) and Gaya (300). -- PTI

20:12 Vistara imposes travel ban on Kunal Kamra

Full service carrier Vistara on Friday barred stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from taking its flights till April 27, an airline official said.

The decision has been taken after Kamra was found 'guilty' for alleged misbehaviour by an internal committee of IndiGo.

The ban on Kamra comes into effect immediately, the official told PTI.

On January 28, Kamra was banned by IndiGo from flying with the airline for six months for allegedly heckling a private TV news anchor.

The ban period was later reduced to three months.

As per norms, any allegation of misbehaviour mid-air by passengers has to be investigated by an internal committee set up by the carrier concerned.

Soon after IndiGo's ban, others carriers such Air India, GoAir and SpiceJet too announced travel restrictions on Kamra.

At that time, Vistara had not banned him from travelling in its flight. -- PTI

Three male nurses, who were taking care of coronavirus affected patients at the Kottayam medical college hospital, were asked to vacate their rented home by their landlord.

The three were working in different shifts.

When they completed their shifts this morning and went home for taking rest, the house owner asked them to vacate, one of them said.

The landlord could not be reached for comments.

When a television channel aired their plight, it came to the notice of the Kottayam district collector P K Sudheer Babu who made arrangements for their stay at the medical college quarters.

Three positive coronavirus patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital. -- PTI

20:02 IIT Delhi asks students to vacate hostels

The Indian Institute of Technology here has directed students to leave hostels by Sunday in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

"In view of the current COVID-19 epidemic, as a preventive measure decided by the competent authority, the students are required to leave the hostels positively by midnight of March 15, 2020.

"There is no need to vacate the room though. Please fill the entry and exit register of the hostel concerned and the mess rebate form. This applies to students currently living in Nalanda and IP Apartments and in off-campus hostels in Katwaria Sarai and Jia Sarai also," Dean of Student Affairs Rajesh Khanna said in an official communication.

The institute had on Thursday announced suspension of classes and all events till March 31.

"PhD students may stay back if their research is in crucial stage. Foreign students who are staying within the campus may also stay," Khanna said. -- PTI

Airline stocks ended in red on Friday due to ongoing travel restrictions in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Shares of IndiGo and SpiceJet traded with heavy losses during the day. InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of the country's largest airline IndiGo, saw its shares slump 14.08 per cent to hit 52-week low of Rs 875 during the day.

It managed to recover most of its losses and ended marginally lower by 0.76 per cent at Rs 1,010.75.

SpiceJet dropped 9.99 per cent to hit lower circuit at Rs 43.70. Hundreds of cancelled flights and decline in daily ticket bookings continue to rattle the country's aviation space as airlines with weakened financials grapple with coronavirus headwinds.

More than 490 flights operated by foreign carriers to and from India have been cancelled for varying periods of time, while the count of weekly flights cancelled by domestic airlines is more than 90, as per official data.

In the broader market, benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty staged a unprecedented recovery after witnessing their worst-ever intraday crash in early session.

Recovering over 5,380 points from intra-day low of 29,388.97, the BSE Sensex ended 1,325.34 points, or 4.04 per cent, higher at 34,103.48.

Similarly, NSE Nifty settled 365.05 points, or 3.81 per cent, higher at 9,955.20. It hit an intra-day low of 8,555.15. -- PTI

19:35 IIT-Kanpur suspends classes, exams till Mar 29

With the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur has decided to suspend all classes and exams as a precautionary measure till March 29, its director Abhay Karandikar said in Kanpur on Friday.

The mid-semester recess will be extended till March 29, Karandikar added.

Classes were scheduled to begin from March 16.

All the students who have gone home and are planning to return to the campus in the next few days are advised not to return to the campus till March 29, the director said, adding that the situation will be reviewed periodically and necessary updates will be provided to all.

The students who have already returned to the campus are strongly advised to visit a nearby health centre, he said.

The campus residents who are returning from vacation are also strongly advised to contact the health centre.

The students, who are staying on the campus, have been advised to stay inside the premises and avoid any travel outside until further instructions, he added. -- PTI

19:33 Delhi House passes resolution against NPR, NRC

The Delhi Assembly passed a resolution on Friday against the National Population Register and the National Register of Citizens.

At the one-day special session, which was held to discuss the NPR and the NRC, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requested the Centre to withdraw them.

"Me, my wife, my entire cabinet don't have birth certificates to prove citizenship. Will we be sent to detention centres?" Kejriwal asked.

The chief minister challenged Union ministers to show whether they had birth certificates issued by the government.

In the Assembly, Kejriwal asked the MLAs to raise their hands if they had birth certificates, following which only nine legislators in the 70-member House raised their hands.

"Sixty-one members of the House do not have birth certificates," he said.

"Will they be sent to detention centres?" -- PTI

18:50 Guv removes 6 'Scindia loyalist' ministers

Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon on Friday removed six ministers, supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia, on the recommendation of Chief Minister Kamal Nath.

Amid the ongoing political crisis triggered by Scindia's exit from the Congress and rebellion of 22 MLAs whosupport him, Nath had, on March 10, written to Tandon seeking immediate removal of the six ministers.

Imarati Devi, Tulsi Silawat, Govind Singh Rajput, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya, Pradyumn Singh Tomar and Prabhuram Chaudhari were removed from the cabinet with immediate effect on Friday, said a Public Relations Department official.

Earlier in the day, Nath met the governor at 11 am and submitted a letter expressing his government's willingness to face a floor test in the Assembly. -- PTI

In spite of following all precautionary measures as per government guidelines, one of the admitted patients in the hospital, was tested positive for COVID-19 last night.

In view of this, the hospital has been following the advice of the concerned team at MCGM and basis their advice all protocols were activated. As per guidelines, the patient was shifted to Kasturba Hospital. The hospital is taking all necessary steps to ensure safety of its medical, non- medical staff and patients as per government guidelines.

Axis Bank on Friday said it will invest up to Rs 600 crore in Yes Bank for up to 60 crore shares as part of the reconstruction plan for the cash-strapped peer lender.

"The Board of Directors of Axis Bank Ltd at its meeting held today has accorded approval to invest a sum of up to Rs 600 crore for acquiring up to 60 crore equity shares of Rs 2 each of Yes Bank Limited, for cash, at a premium of Rs 8 per equity share, under the proposed Scheme of Reconstruction of Yes Bank Limited under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949," Axis Bank said in a regulatory filing.

The government on Friday approved a bail out plan for Yes Bank proposed by the Reserve Bank under which SBI would infuse Rs 7,250 crore in the lender for 49 per cent equity.

ICICI Bank will infuse Rs 1,000 crore in the troubled lender in lieu of picking-up 100 crore shares. Axis Bank shares closed at Rs 568.20 on BSE, up 4.67 per cent from the previous close. -- PTI

In a drastic step to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Maharashtra government ordered closure of cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools and malls in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur cities from Friday midnight.

Making the announcement in the state Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the government was invoking the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 from midnight. Wherever possible, companies should allow employees to work from home in view of coronavirus threat, he said.

Thackeray announced that schools in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad areas will remain shut till further orders.

However, the SSC exams in those schools will continue as per schedule, he said. He also informed the House that so far, 17 persons have tested positive for coronavirus in the state- three each in Mumbai and Nagpur, 10 in Pune and one in Thane. The chief minister also appealed to the people to avoid visiting malls. -- PTI

17:46 81 confirmed coronavirus cases in India

Here's an update from the health ministry: The government says till now, there are 81 confirmed cases in India, out of which 64 are Indians, 16 Italians and 1 Canadian national.

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said, "Indo-Bangladesh passenger buses/trains to remain suspended till 15th April. Along Indo-Nepal border four checkposts will remain operational. For Bhutan and Nepal nationals visa-free entry to continue. Contact tracing of these cases is being actively pursued. So far, this has led to identification of more than 4000 contacts who have been put under surveillance.

"The government has brought 42,296 passengers under community surveillance, out of which 2,559 were symptomatic and 522 hospitalized including 17 foreign nationals."

17:08 Covid-19: 1 more positive in Pune, 2 in Nagpur

One more person was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus in Pune on Friday, taking the number of Covid-19 cases in the city to 10 and that in Maharashtra to 17.

The person who tested positive for the virus in Pune on Friday had travel history to the United States, said divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar.

Earlier in the morning, two more persons tested positive for the disease in Nagpur.

Two days after a 45-year-old man was found to be infected with coronavirus in Nagpur, his wife and friend also tested positive, Divisional Commissioner Sanjiv Kumar had said.

"The man had returned from the US last week along with his wife and the friend," he had informed.

There are now 10 confirmed coronavirus patients in Pune, three each in Mumbai and Nagpur, and one in Thane. -- PTI

A Delhi court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to take disciplinary action against doctors who had treated the father of the Unnao rape survivor when he was injured in custody.

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma while sentencing expelled Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother and five others to 10 years rigorous imprisonment, directed the state government to take action against the doctors for medical negligence.

"The state of Uttar Pradesh shall take appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the doctors concerned whose gross medical negligence led to the death of the victim in terms of inquiry report proved on the record," the judge noted in his order.

The court had earlier, while hearing a plea filed by the victim, refused to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation to initiate a probe against the doctors saying it was the prerogative of the premier investigative agency to conduct the prosecution.

However, the court had said that if during the course of the trial any evidence surfaces about the role played by any of the doctors in the entire episode, appropriate orders would be passed.

The plea, filed by advocate Dharmendra Mishra, alleged that the doctors at the district hospital had deliberately not examined the father of the woman properly at the behest of Sengar. -- PTI

16:06 Full freedom only when all released: Farooq

First look: National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah released from detention after seven months.

This is what he had to say: "Today I don't have words. I am free today; Now, I will be able to go to Delhi and attend the Parliament and speak for you all. I'm grateful to people of the State and all leaders and people in the rest of the country who spoke for our freedom. This freedom will be complete when all leaders are released. I hope the government of India will take action to release everyone."

The Centre on Friday had issued orders to revoke detention of National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, who was detained under Public Safety Act following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, said Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Planning in the Union Territory.

The three-term chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state was under house arrest for months.

Several mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including Farooq's son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have been also put under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 in August that granted special powers to the region.

Minutes after the news came in that former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah will be released after seven months in detention, his daughter Safia Abdullah Khan expressed happiness over Twitter and said, "My father is a free man again."

The three-term chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state was under house arrest for months.Several mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including Farooq's son Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have been also put under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 in August that granted special powers to the region.

Earlier, the NC chief wrote a letter to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, expressing discontent over being kept under watch and said that he was not a 'criminal'.

He could not attend two sessions of Parliament due to the detention, with several leaders from Opposition parties demanding the MP be allowed to attend the Parliament. - ANI

15:40 Man tests +ve for coronavirus in quarantine

A man who returned from Italy this week and was lodged at the Army's quarantine facility in Manesar, Haryana has tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease, Army sources said on Friday. According to the medical protocol, he has been shifted to an isolation facility at the Safdarjung Hospital for further medical examination and recovery.

"One individual (male) who had returned from Italy on March 11 has been tested positive. The individual was employed in one of the restaurants in Italy since last 14 years," sources said. The man was among the 83 people who returned from Italy on Wednesday. The group was moved to the Army's quarantine facility at Manesar. PTI

15:35 Scindia files nomination for Rajya Sabha

Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, filed his nomination papers for the March 26 Rajya Sabha polls on Friday.

The senior leader was accompanied by BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Polls for 55 Rajya Sabha seats in different states are scheduled to be held on March 26.

On Wednesday, Scindia joined the BJP in New Delhi in the presence of party President JP Nadda. He had resigned from Congress a day earlier after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Scindia was part of the Congress Party for almost two decades. -- ANI

Around 900 people are still under observation in Pathanamthitta after the district administration released a route map identifying places visited by the three-member family from Ranni which returned to Kerala from coronavirus-hit Italy last month, health officials said.

Around 16 squads led by the District Collector and the District Medical Officer (DMO) travelled across the the district to identify the places visited by the family and to track the contacts, a senior medical official of the state said.

"A flow chart was prepared with all the places visited by the family upon their return and have been mentioned in a map, so that people can voluntarily inform authorities if they had come in contact with them," state Health Minister K K Shailaja said.

The Minister told the Assembly on Friday that the patient flow chart was released as the family was not revealing everything to the medical department.

The Pathanamthitta DMO told PTI the authorities received hundreds of calls from various places in the district after the travel map of the family was released.

"Those who were at the place and time mentioned in the flow chart were asked to contact the health authorities. We have identified around 70 people on the first day itself. Next day, i.e on Thursday, we identified around 40 people who came in close contact with the Ranni family," the DMO said. Till Thursday, the health department has kept 896 people under observation in the district. -- PTI

15:05 Ongoing parl session won't be curtailed: Govt

Amid reports of shortening the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said there is no question of curtailing the session. "There is no question of curtailing the Budget Session. The session will not be curtailed," Joshi told PTI. The Budget Session started on January 31 and then it went on recess on February 11. It resumed on March 2 and will conclude on April 3.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that all schools, colleges, technical and vocational education institutes will remain closed till March 22. "We will review the situation on March 22 and will take a decision whether to extend it or not," he said.

In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the Heritage Museum at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus will remain closed for public for the month of March 2020, said Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railways in a statement on Friday. This comes after confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country have risen to 75.

14:47 Priyanka holds forth on coronavirus

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra adopts a soft approach on coronavirus, listing out do's and don'ts as opposed to her brother Rahul Gandhi who slammed the Modi government saying it was sleeping at the wheel on the pandemic. Here's what Priyanka had to say.

All India Tennis Association on Friday announced that all tournaments scheduled for the next two months have been cancelled with immediate effect due to coronavirus pandemic. The association informed that all tournaments on the domestic tournament calendar starting from Monday, March 16, 2020, will not be held till the time the situation has been reviewed again and further communication is issued by the AITA for the resumption of tournaments and events. -- ANI

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajeev Shukla on Friday said that in his opinion the tournament should go ahead as planned despite the coronavirus scare.

"IPL should go ahead as planned in my opinion. There is no thought of cancelling the IPL as of now. The government is already fighting the epidemic, if they want there should be no crowd, then there will be no crowd. I think the tournament will take place as scheduled," Shukla told reporters.

"BCCI is capable of handling the situation, the decision will be taken in the governing council, looking at the situation now, I think IPL will take place. If the ministry says that the tournament should be played without spectators, he added.

Earlier in the day, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister, Manish Sisodia announced that all sporting activities, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), attracting a large crowd turnout have been banned amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Sports activities, seminars, conferences, we have decided to shut them. No sports event including IPL would be allowed in Delhi until the next order. Coronavirus is spreading, we have decided to maintain social distance, IPL is a big event, many people come from various corners, I would also like to appeal to the people," Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, told reporters.

Amidst coronavirus fears, the cricketing board has mainly two options-- either postpone IPL or play it behind closed doors. -- ANI

14:08 Mr Mahindra gets a delivery

Anand Mahindra shares this image to say: (Namaste/pranam/high 5 emoji) my friend Ashok Kurien, who sent me the best gift for these times! Proud to learn that an Indian inventor's Swiss company has come out with these washable,reusable masks that destroy viruses. They're stepping up production in India. http://livinguard.com

14:05 Modi asks SAARC to strategise on coronavirus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed that the leadership of SAARC nations could chalk out a joint strategy to fight coronavirus and set an example for the world. He said the SAARC leadership can discuss via video conferencing ways to keep their citizens healthy.

"Our planet is battling the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. At various levels, governments and people are trying their best to combat it," Modi said on Twitter. South Asia, which is home to a significant number of the global population, should leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people are healthy, he said.

"I would like to propose that the leadership of SAARC nations chalk out a strong strategy to fight coronavirus. We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy," he said. "Together, we can set an example to the world, and contribute to a healthier planet," Modi said.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organization that comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. PTI

Image: The SAARC summit in 2016

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said there is no "Jyotiraditya Scindia-like" figure in ranks of ruling allies in the state and asked the BJP to keep a watch on its MLAs who were not present on the assembly. In his reply to budget demands, Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, also commented on BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar's startling revelation in the house on Thursday it was his party that ditched the one-time ally Shiv Sena last year and that it was a mistake.

"There is no pardon for the mistake," Pawar said, looking in the direction of Chief Minister and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray leading to laughter in the house. The Shiv Sena and the BJP parted ways after the assembly elections last year due to differences over power- sharing. The Sena later joined hands with the Congress and the NCP, its political rivals then, to form government. Pawar said there is no "Jyotiraditya Scindia-like figure" in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the ruling alliance consisting of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress, and asked the BJP to look after its own flock as there could be such a person in its own ranks.

13:51 Kamal Nath claims Madya Pradesh govt is stable

Just days after 22 MLAs resigned pushing Congress government into crisis, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Friday confidently stated that his government is "stable" and there is nothing to "worry" about.

The statement from the Chief Minister came just hours after meeting Governor Lalji Tandon. CM Nath also accused the BJP of horse-trading.

"I have told the Governor how MLAs are being kept in captivity in Bengaluru and how their resignations are being given to Speaker by a BJP leader. This is a joke. This is a conspiracy by BJP. My government is stable and there is nothing to worry out," he said in an exclusive interview with ANI in Bhopal.

When asked to comment on Jyotiraditya Scindia exiting Congress and joining the rival BJP, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister quickly said, " Only he can say why he has gone."Earlier in the morning, CM Kamal Nath held a discussion on floor test with the Governor requested him to make efforts for the release of the MLAs allegedly held in captivity in Bengaluru by the BJP.The Chief Minister had also pointed out at the BJP's act of handing over the resignations of legislatures on behalf of the missing Congress MLAs and called it the "entire conspiracy" and "illegal actions."On Wednesday, Scindia joined BJP in New Delhi in the presence of party President JP Nadda. He had resigned from Congress a day earlier after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Scindia will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections today. (ANI)

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Friday suspended all lectures, examinations and events on its campus till March 31, in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Events such as seminars, conferences and workshops on the campus have also been postponed.

"All lectures, class presentations and examinations at JNU are suspended until March 31, 2020, with immediate effect. Conducting any event such as seminars, conferences, workshops, etc. on the campus during this period that requires a gathering of people should be postponed," read a notice issued by Dr. Pramod Kumar, registrar of the university.

It was also notified that basic mess facilities will be available to the hostel residents during this period. Kumar requested JNU residents to follow the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the university."

13:28 Farooq Abdullah's detention revoked

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah to be released after over six months in detention.

13:08 Iran Air plane evacuates stranded Indians

An Iran Air flight carrying Indians stranded in coronavirus-hit Iran, landed at the airport here on Friday afternoon, according to an official. Iran is one of the worst-affected countries by the coronavirus outbreak and the government has been working on plans to bring back Indians stranded there. The number of passengers onboard the Iran Air plane could not be immediately ascertained. An official told PTI that the Iran Air flight landed at the Mumbai airport at around 12.08 pm. The passengers would be taken to Jaisalmer on an Air India aircraft, another official said.

On Thursday, a Defence spokesperson said around 120 Indians would be brought to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and quarantined at an Army facility there.

"They will be quarantined at an Indian Army facility created under the aegis of Southern Command. The patients will be transferred from the airport post their initial screening to the quarantine facility under escort of civil administration," Defence Spokesperson Col Sombit Ghosh had said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Thursday, said there are over 6,000 Indians in various provinces of Iran. Coronavirus outbreak is a matter of "great concern" and the government's initial focus is to bring back Indian pilgrims stranded in Iran, he had said. PTI

Image: Fifty-eight Indians were brought back home from coronavirus-hit Iran in a military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force on Tuesday.

12:51 No IPL matches in Delhi, says Kejriwal govt

All sporting activities, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), attracting a large crowd turnout have been banned amidst the coronavirus outbreak, announced Delhi government on Friday.

"Sports activities, seminars, conferences, we have decided to shut them. No sports event including IPL would be allowed in Delhi until the next order. Coronavirus is spreading, we have decided to maintain social distance, IPL is a big event, many people come from various corners, I would also like to appeal to the people," Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, told reporters.

"If BCCI decides to play the tournament in a different format it is up to them. Our intent is just to control the gathering. We will implement this for at least a month, he added.

Earlier in the day, the sources within the BCCI said that the board has invited all eight franchises for the IPL's governing council meeting on March 14.

The current developments in stock market are related to global factors and do not reflect strong fundamentals of the Indian economy, Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian said on Friday.

The market has been moving in tandem with other global markets owing to concerns relating to coronavirus pandemic, resultant fears of economic slowdown and recent fall in crude oil prices, he said.

"All countries, including France, Russia, US, UK, Japan and others have had more than 20 per cent decline in their stock prices. But the fall in Indian stock market is below the global average," said Subramanian.

He added that the retail inflation in February slowed to 6.58 per cent over the previous month mainly due to easing food prices. By July, it is expected to come down to 4 per cent.

Meanwhile, India's industrial output grew by 2 per cent in January.

"We have half a trillion dollars of foreign exchange reserves," said Subramanian. "The current account deficit is expected to be significantly lower due to low crude oil prices."Subramanian's comments came after the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty turned green after hitting a 10 per cent lower circuit in early trading.

Asian stock markets too crashed on Friday with coronavirus panic selling hitting almost every asset class and pulling down Japan's Nikkei as far as 10 per cent. -- ANI

12:31 Kerala leads in coronavirus cases

Here's the breakup of coronavirus cases in India by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India (including foreign nationals) is 75, including one death. Kerala has the highest number of cases.

Click on the pic to enlarge.

12:27 1st coronavirus death in India, 74 +ve cases

The number of coronavirus patients in the country is 75, including the 76-year-old man in Karnataka, who died, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. The man from Kalaburagi had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.

"His sample has been confirmed for #COVID19", Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu said on Thursday. Delhi has reported six positive cases and Uttar Pradesh 10 so far. Karnataka has five coronavirus patients, Maharashtra 11 and Ladakh three. Besides, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each. Kerala has recorded 17 cases, including three patients who were discharged last month after they recovered from the contagious infection with flu-like symptoms. The total number of 75 confirmed cases includes 17 foreigners -- 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian, the ministry officials said.

Amid rising coronavirus cases in India, the government on Thursday asked people not to panic, saying no community transmission of the virus has been observed and there has only been a few cases of local transmission so far.

Asserting that the safety and welfare of its citizens abroad have always been a priority for India, the government said three flights will be sent to Iran to bring back Indians from Iran. With the novel coronavirus being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, Health Ministry officials said around 1,500 people who came in contact with the 75 infected people were under rigorous observation while over 30,000 people across the country under community surveillance. "India presently has around 1 lakh testing kits. More testing kits have been ordered and they are in procurement," the official said.

Image: A railway porter wears a mask against the coronavirus pandemic as he goes about his work at the Central Railway station in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Pic: ANI

12:13 Kamal Nath calls on guv amid MP crisis

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is meeting Governor Lalji Tandon here in the midst of political crisis in the state triggered by the resignation of 22 rebel Congress MLAs three days ago. Nath, whose government is teetering on the brink of a collapse following the rebellion, reached Raj Bhavan late Friday morning to meet Tandon, who arrived here on Thursday night from Lucknow.

The chief minister is expected to brief the governor about the current political situation in the state, Congress sources said. The ruling Congress has alleged that 19 of the rebel Congress MLAs, including ministers, have been held "captive" by the BJP in a resort in Bengaluru, a charge denied by the opposition party.

Nath's meeting with the governor comes amid unconfirmed reports that six ministers, said to be close to former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, will be coming to Bhopal from Bengaluru to hand over their resignation letters in person to the Assembly speaker. Attempts to contact these ministers proved futile. Scindia joined the BJP on Wednesday, a day after quitting the Congress. PTI

Unnao rape case (custodial death of father of victim matter): Delhi court has sentenced all convicts including expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar to 10 years imprisonment. Sengar and his brother Atul Sengar to pay Rs 10 lakh each as compensation to the victim's family.

As the BCCI is all set to decide the future of Indian Premier League amidst the coronavirus outbreak, the board has decided to invite all franchises for IPL's governing council meeting.

The meeting is set to be held on Saturday, March 14 where the decision will be taken. Amidst coronavirus fears, the cricketing board has mainly two options-- either postpone IPL or play it behind closed doors.

When asked whether franchises have been invited, sources within the BCCI said: "Yes, we have invited them for the meeting".The Central government has suspended all visas to India till April 15 as part of measures to contain the spread of the pandemic which has put IPL's scheduling in doubt.

The Sports Ministry has also asked all National Sports Federations (NSFs), including the BCCI to follow the Health Ministry's guidelines.As per the guidelines issued, it has been asked to avoid large public gatherings.

Due to the visa regulation, sources within the IPL's governing council said that the foreign players would not be available for the tournament.

"Yes, foreign players will not be available. We will discuss this and other issues at our governing council meeting scheduled for March 14," a source in IPL governing council had told ANI.

The 13th edition of IPL is scheduled to commence from March 29, with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings meeting at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for the first match.

On Thursday, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the IPL should happen behind closed doors or it should be postponed.World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday had declared the coronavirus outbreak a 'pandemic' and expressed deep concern.

11:07 Markets volatile

Extremely volatile markets. Sensex, Nifty teeters between red and green. After briefly being in the green, markets in the red again.

The Nepal government has cancelled all expeditions to Mount Everest, until further notice, due to novel coronavirus outbreak.

The decision effectively ends all expedition attempts on the Everest for the year.

The China Tibet Mountaineering Association, the body that issues climbing permits, notified expeditions on Wednesday that all Everest ascents from the northern side had been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, according to Kathmandu Post.

In the wake of the global coronavirus outbreak, China has already cancelled all expeditions on the Everest from the Tibetan side.

A high-level coordination committee led by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel took several decisions to contain the virus on Thursday, one of which was to suspend issuing on-arrival visas.

In the wake of the novel coronavirus, many countries including India and the United States have suspended international visas as a control measure. India temporarily suspended almost all travel visas starting Friday as part of its efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. -- ANI

10:59 Markets in the green

The Indian markets staged a quick recovery after it reopened after briefly closing for 45 minutes.

Sensex is at 32,894; Nifty at 9643.

Earlier. trading was halted for 45 minutes as the Nifty50 index hit a 10 per cent lower circuit. The index was down over 1,000 points, or 11 per cent, at 8,530 levels. The S&P BSE Sensex tumbled over 3300 points, or 10.3 per cent, at 29,390 levels.

Rahul Gandhi on the coronavirus pandemic. "I keep repeating this. The #coronavirus is a huge problem. Ignoring the problem is a non solution. The Indian economy will be destroyed if strong action is not taken. The government is in a stupor."

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 a word on the economy and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman does not understand economy, the former Congress chief alleged.

10:46 Markets reopen with minor recovery

Markets reopen with minor recovery after closing for 45 minutes in morning trade. The trading resumed at 10:30 am.

Sensex which had tanked 3090 points recovered to 32401, while the Nifty which had tanked 966 points recovered to 9507.

The Indian rupee fell by another 16 paise to 74.44 against the US dollar as financial markets around the globe continued to feel jitters of coronavirus pandemic. A day earlier, the Indian currency had tumbled by 60 paise to close at a new 17-month low of 74.28 amid coronavirus pandemic fanning global economic recession fears. Meanwhile, the global crude oil benchmark Brent Futures fell 0.87 per cent to trade at USD 32.93 per barrel. A sense of anxiety among investors has developed as they see the global economy is plunging into a deep crisis due to coronavirus pandemic that has killed about 5,000 and sickened lakhs of people around the globe, analysts said. Amid the heavy rush for the US dollar in forex markets, the Reserve Bank announced liquidity measures such as buy-sell swap of USD 2 billion to increase dollar availability with banks and ease pressure on rupee. In the current month so far, FPIs have pulled out a whopping Rs 33,163 crore (USD 4.46 billion) from Indian capital markets. Meanwhile, the Indian equity market saw another tumultuous opening session for a second day on Friday, with the benchmark Sensex plunging over 3,000 points to trade below the psychological 30,000 level; while the NSE gauge Nifty crashed nearly 1,000 points to dip below the 9,000 mark. Indian bourses halted trading for 45 minutes during the early session after both the benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hit their lower circuit limits.

Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva has this to say about Jyotiraditya Scindia quitting the Congress party for the BJP. "Having known #JyotiradityaScindia from his school days I am pained to see him go to the BJP at a time when the nation and the world sees clearly what their agenda is. Personal ambition will see a man of promise burn himself."

Hours after Jyotiraditya Scindia joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Madhya Pradesh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) re-opened a six-year-old forgery case against him.

The development came after Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was a veteran of the Congress for almost 2 decades, left the grand old party and joined the BJP on Wednesday.

The Madhya Pradesh Economic Offences Wing has decided to begin the inquiry afresh by re-verification of facts in a complaint against former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and his family, in which they are accused of falsifying a property document while selling land.

Scindia has been accused of falsifying a property document while selling land worth 10,000 crores.

The Madhya Pradesh EOW has started an investigation into the case.

On Wednesday, Scindia joined BJP in New Delhi in the presence of party President JP Nadda. He had resigned from Congress a day earlier after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.He will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections on March 13. -- ANI

10:04 Trading halted, Sensex tanks 3000 points

Stock markets hit the circuit breaker on Friday as markets continued to witness panic selling amid fears pandemic Coronavirus will derail economic growth. Trading has been halted for 45 minutes in the early trade as the benchmark index Nifty hit the 10 per cent lower circuit. Trading will resume at 10:30 am. Sensex has tanked 3090 points to 29687 in opening session; Nifty plunges 966 points to 8624.

Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson are apparently enduring their isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 in Australia's Queensland with good cheer.

The 63-year-old actor posted an update on Twitter thanking fans for their support after he made the announcement on Wednesday (local time) that they had contracted the virus and were quarantined in Australia.

"Hello folks. Rita Wilson and I want to thank everyone here Down Under who are taking such good care of us."Then the 'Forest Gump' star went on to say "we have COVID-19 and are in isolation so we do not spread it to anyone else".

"There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness," he said."We are taking it one-day-at-a-time. There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no?" added Hanks.

Australia has reported a total of over 130 cases of coronavirus across the country.

Hanks and wife Wilson were in Australia where the Academy Award-winning actor was filming an untitled Baz Luhrmann film.

Hanks was filming for the role of Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's eccentric manager, who groomed the famous singer to stardom in the 1950s. -- ANI

The police on Thursday arrested two members of the Popular Front of India for their alleged involvement in communal riots amid anti-CAA protests in the North East Delhi, in which over 50 persons were killed, officials said.

The accused have been identified as PFI president Parvez and secretary Iliyas, they said.

The two were arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police, the officials said.

The police had on Monday arrested 33-year-old Mohammad Danish, a PFI member and a resident of Trilokpuri, for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite communal riots in North East Delhi.

Sources said some documents recovered from him also established the PFI role in providing logistical and financial support to protesters.

It was through these documents that police came to know of the roles of Parvez and Iliyas in the riots. -- PTI

08:59 Coronavirus: Australian Grand Prix cancelled

Formula One on Friday confirmed that Australian Grand Prix has been cancelled amidst coronavirus outbreak.

Australian Open which is the opening round of the Formula One was slated to be held on March 15 but it was put under a cloud as McLaren pulled out of the race when its team member tested positive for coronavirus.

"Last night a member of the McLaren Racing team tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. A further seven individuals returned negative results, confirming that they do not have the COVID-19 virus," Australian GP organisers said in an official statement.

"Additionally, a ninth individual has been assessed and tested for the COVID-19 virus, with the results of this test pending. This individual is not associated with any Formula 1 team, the FIA or associated suppliers," it added.

The coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, in late December, and has since spread worldwide.

More than 127,000 people have been infected with COVID-19, with over 4,700 having died and 68,000 recovered. -- ANI

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office said.

"Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today. The test came back positive," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

"Following medical advice, she will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild," it said.

"The prime minister is in good health with no symptoms. As a precautionary measure and following the advice of doctors, he will be in isolation for a planned period of 14 days," but will not be tested.

"The prime minister will continue to fully assume his duties and will address Canadians tomorrow," the statement added.

00:08 5K-10K people 'likely' have COVID-19 in UK

Britain said up to 10,000 people in the UK could be infected with the novel coronavirus, as it announced new measures to slow the spread of the outbreak.

Government chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said there were currently 590 confirmed cases but it was "much more likely we've got somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 people infected".

Britain was "about four weeks" behind the level of cases currently seen in Italy and other worst-hit countries in Europe, he added.

Vallance was speaking after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the outbreak, which has so far killed 10 people in Britain, "the worst public health crisis for a generation" and warned it would get worse.

"Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time," he told a news conference at his Downing Street office.

He announced new measures to combat the rapid spread of the virus, recommending anyone with COVID-19 symptoms stays at home for at least seven days.

He also said schools will be asked to cancel foreign trips and elderly people or those in poor health were told not to go on cruise ships.

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