New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)
Movie theatres in New York State, except New York City, can reopen at 25 per cent capacity with up to 50 people per screen starting from October 23, state Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Theatres will only open in counties that are below 2 per cent of COVID-19 test positivity rate on a 14-day average and have no cluster zones, Xinhua news agency quoted Cuomo as saying on Saturday.
Masks will be required at all times except when audience are seated and are eating or drinking.
Assigned seating and social distancing between parties will be required in all theaters, and additional staffing is also required to guarantee full control of the situation, he added.
According to the Governor, the state carried out 159,972 Covid-19 tests on Friday, 1,784 were positive, or 1.11 per cent of the total.
Once the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, New York state has reported more than 488,000 Covid-19 cases, of which New York City accounted for over 258,000.
The death toll in the state stood at 32,959.
As of Sunday, the US continued as the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 8,106,384 and 219,286, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
Gold imports by India declined 57.12 per cent in the first half of the current financial year (2020-21) to $6.77 billion as demand has been largely hit by the pandemic.
During April-September FY20, the value of gold imports stood at $15.80 billion.
As per the Commerce Ministry data, import of the yellow metal last month stood at $601.43 million, 52.85 per cent lower on a year-on-year basis.
Silver imports too have slumped during over the past six months. During April-September, silver worth $733.57 million was imported, 63.41 per cent lower than imports worth $2 billion recorded a year ago.
In September FY21, India imported silver worth just $9.40 million, nearly 94 per cent lower than $154.54 million recorded during the same period last fiscal.
India’s total imports in September fell 19.60 per cent to $30.31 billion from $37.69 billion reported a year ago.
Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez during a practice session
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been left “disturbed and disappointed” after 12 persons, including nine players and three officials of the ongoing National T20 Cup in Rawalpindi, breached the bio-secure protocols in place for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though the PCB did not disclose the identity of the cricketers and officials who breached the protocols, Pakistani newspaper ‘Dawn’ said that the guilty included senior players like Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Fakhar Zaman, Yasir Shah, Khurram Manzoor, Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq plus officials Abdul Razzaq, Basit Ali and Rashid Khan. The individuals had spent time outside the bubble area within the vicinity of the team hotel on Friday.
Issuing a warning, the PCB has stated that those breaching the bio-secure protocols in future will be sent packing from the tournament.
“The PCB is disturbed and disappointed that some senior players and officials have breached the bio-secure bubble during the National T20 Cup. In doing so, they have put at risk the integrity of the tournament and, health and safety of their colleagues,” said PCB Director – High Performance, Nadeem Khan as per a PCB media release.
“This is completely unacceptable to the PCB and following meetings with the concerned players and their team officials, it has been agreed there will be zero-tolerance for future breaches and those violating the protocols will be expelled from the ongoing and future tournaments,” he added.
Covid-19 tests were conducted on all the 12 individuals on an urgent basis, which all turned negative. The individuals picked up the costs of the tests, besides receiving warnings for their actions.
“I expect the players and officials to show responsibility as the world is watching and international cricket is standing at our doorsteps. Their irresponsible actions can put into jeopardy all the efforts of the PCB in organising and inviting sides during these challenging COVID-19 times,” Khan said.
The 2020-21 Indian domestic cricket season has not been ruled out completely, but is set to be delayed by a few months due to COVID-19 pandemic and would only start in the New Year. The suggestion was tabled by players’ representative on the Indian cricket board’s Apex Council, Shantha Rangaswamy.
Usually, the domestic season lasts from October to April.
At the virtual meeting of the council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the members discussed “a number of options” for the domestic season, but a final decision would depend on what stage the pandemic has reached at the time, i.e. around early next year.
The tournaments will have to comply with existing COVID protocols whenever they are scheduled in different states of the country.
The start of the domestic season would depend totally on factors such as how long the window would be, medical protocols vis-a-vis Covid, and permission from different state governments.
“The cricket operations department of the BCCI has prepared a number of options for different windows that might be available for domestic tournaments. These have been given to the office-bearers, and it will entirely depend on them — and, of course, the Covid-related medical protocols of the Central and the state governments, which have different local rules,” a source told IANS.
It is understood that if the domestic tournaments take place, in whatever timeframe period, the premier national championship for Ranji Trophy is unlikely to be played in the existing format – Elite Group A, B, and C, besides the Plate Group.
“But it is virtually impossible to create a bio-bubble for each of the 38 teams that compete in Ranji Trophy and in other tournaments,” said the source.
On Friday, Shantha Rangaswamy had told IANS that she was going to suggest at the meeting a February-to-September, or February-to-December, domestic season.
“I think age-group cricketers or women cricketers can lose interest and enthusiasm if they don’t get to play. So, I will suggest that they have the season from February till September, and could extend it till December, if required. Maybe, we can have this way for a couple of years; have tournaments at limited venues, and by creating a bio-bubble,” Rangaswamy, the female players’ representative on the council, told IANS.
There are, however, a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in organising. The president of a state cricket association pointed out another possible hitch in staging Ranji Trophy and other national tournaments, like T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“Even if the BCCI decides to hold matches within each of the five zones — which is an option being floated around — in cities that have more than one grounds, will there be enough rooms in hotels to accommodate so many teams while adhering to the Covid-19 protocols?” he asked.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua/IANS)
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday announced that the UN Security Councils (UNSC) arms embargo against Tehran has been terminated in line with the 2015 landmark nuclear deal.
“As of today, all restrictions on the transfer of arms, related activities and financial services to and from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all prohibitions regarding the entry into or transit through territories of the UN Member States previously imposed on a number of Iranian citizens and military officials, are all automatically terminated,” Press tv quoted a Ministry statement as saying.
The longstanding UN ban on the sale of arms from/to Iran is terminated under the terms of the UNSC Resolution 2231.
“As of today, the Islamic Republic may procure any necessary arms and equipment from any source without any legal restrictions, and solely based on its defensive needs, and may also export defensive armaments based on its own policies,” the statement said.
The Ministry also made it clear that “the lifting of arms restrictions and the travel ban were designed to be automatic with no other action required”.
On August 14, US President Donald Trump’s administration failed to renew the Iranian arms embargo through a resolution at the UNSC, Press TV reported.
Russia and China voted against the motion and the remaining 11 council members, including France, Germany and the UK, abstained.
Shortly after the announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the international community had “protected” the nuclear deal and October 18 marked the “normalization of Iran’s cooperation with the world”,
“Today’s normalization of Iran’s defence cooperation with the world is a win for the cause of multilateralism and peace and security in our region,” he added.
A Biden presidency is likely to be a huge win for the Middle East to gain back the market share as it restricts shale production and can be supportive for crude oil prices.
According to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services, for years, if not decades, OPEC members have been jousting for market share, which is, of course, the reason why the latest Saudi-Russia oil price war happened in the first place.
“A Biden presidency is likely to be a huge win for the Middle East to gain back the market share as it restricts shale production and can be supportive for crude oil prices,” the report said.
Talking about the OPEC approach, Trump would likely continue practicing Twitter oil diplomacy, which he started in his first term to urge OPEC plus producers to increase or cut supply during their meetings in Vienna. He takes credit for helping to negotiate an end to the March oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
“Under Biden, any US diplomacy toward OPEC might return behind the scenes. Antitrust legislation against OPEC would only see renewed interest if gasoline prices soar,” the report said.
Crude oil investors are facing a confused stance as US President Donald Trump’s presidency brings stability and Presidency under Joe Biden might bring uncertainty and more volatility in the market.
Prices can remain in levels of $45 as President Trump would like to keep prices at this level to make sure gasoline prices remain in control, which remains a main concern of taxpayers in U.S.
If U.S. voters decide to stay the course, the current push for energy dominance through increased drilling will continue. He is seen as a promoter of Shale which might put pressure as any stimulus and benefit to shale sector would lead to overproduction and more responsibility on OPEC plus to cut production and bring balance in the market.
Compared with a second term of the Trump administration, a Biden presidency could be a positive for U.S. oil and gas drillers because tougher regulations on hydraulic fracturing would likely reduce production, raising crude prices to levels of WTI $45-$55 in coming months after elections. If they elect a new president, the challenger has pledged to end new drilling on public lands and move toward a carbon-free future.
With his $2 trillion plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Joe Biden might seem a far-from-ideal president for the Texas oil and gas industry. Looks like for Crude oil to rally, markets are praying for Vice President Biden to win and bring back optimism in the market as demand recovery is stalling and it might take more months for crude demand to recover.
A Biden win will likely be an upward catalyst for oil prices because it will increase costs for shale patch and will likely result in a weaker U.S. dollar, the report said.
However, headwinds remains to this optimistic view that if sanctions are pulled off from Venezuela or Iran, they might re-emerge as a significant oil exporter, it might put pressure on prices and can force adjustment in production for the three big oil producers and likely a reduction in through cycle prices which can push additional pressure on prices and bring back glut fears and push prices to levels of $35.
Lord Rami Ranger CBE (Left) with Mr Amritpal Sachdeva during the launch of the Zozter app
Lord Rami Ranger CBE (Left) with Mr Amritpal Sachdeva during the launch of the Zozter app
Zozter app comes as digital solution which enables one to avoid depending on hundreds of paper business cards. The concept has been developed by a long-standing employee of Lord Rami Ranger’s company, Sun Mark Ltd, Mr Amritpal Sachdeva, fondly known as Lucky.
Lord Ranger CBE, at the launch event, said to local media, “I am very proud to see how Lucky has developed his business acumen and customer service skills whilst at Sun Mark and I am very impressed with his Zozter App. The pioneering Zozter App developed by Lucky provides solutions in today’s digital world. It is reducing the need to use paper and to carry business cards to help the environment.
It is challenging to manage so many business cards which one gets daily when going about the businesses. It is child’s play to store the information, all the information one needs to run an effective business. The app helps you network with like-minded professionals and also helps you find suitable employment and business opportunities.”
Lucky had started his working life at Sun Mark Ltd and progressed up the ranks to become the Distribution Manager, having worked there for over 18 years.
Lucky said, “I owe all my success to Lord Ranger who has been my guiding light and mentor and who has made me what I am today. I am proud to have created the start-up Zozter; it is the world’s first online social card sharing application based on the idea of enhancing the sharing of business cards and services to a global community, it is the next level in marketing and business networking”.
Zozter’s unique features allow it to be used on all platforms. It is a digital business card holder for your old business cards. The mission is to create a global community to help facilitate business networking and to help both employers and employees connect in a seamless way. Further information on the innovation can be gathered from www.zozter.com
Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi, Minister of Health, Sultanate of Oman.
Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi, Oman’s Minister of Health has reiterated his plea to all members of the public to stick to the decisions of the Supreme Committee and precautionary measures it has set for the management of the pandemic.
The Minister who is also a Member of the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, expressed his deep appreciation for the continuous support of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik to the health sector and departments dealing with the pandemic.
Speaking at the 17th press conference held by the Supreme Committee at the Ministry of Education, the minister said that all segments should refrain from gatherings and to report any violations. “Failure to report a crime is a crime in itself,” said the minister, who described crime reporting as a national duty.
Dr. Ahmed also pointed out that doctors and other health undergo tremendous stress as they watch young people dying from the disease. He explained that COVID-19 mortality rate in the Sultanate is still within the mark of 1% from total infection cases, “but any such death represents a disaster and great pain that could be limited if we follow proper preventive measures.”
Last week, COVID-19 death rate at Intensive Care Units (ICUs) reached 83% (Mortality rate in cases admitted to ICUs ranges from 75%-85%), said the minister, noting that the percentage of death among men is higher than women and that the disease damages a lot of organs in the body.
He added that all should understand that this virus spreads fast, with imminent risk looming from a third wave of infection, which already began in many countries, not only in our region. “The more we cooperate and rally efforts as a government, citizens and residents, the more we could cut down the number of infection cases and ease pressure on health establishments,” said Dr. Ahmed.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik on Friday handed over the captaincy of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to England’s World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan. This will come in effect for the remaining matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchise informed ahead of their match against Mumbai Indians.
Karthik has taken the decision with a “view to focus on his batting and contributing more to the team’s cause”, a KKR statement read.
“We are fortunate to have leaders such as DK, who has always put the team first. It takes a lot of courage for someone like him to take a decision such as this,” said Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR.
“While we were surprised by his decision, we are respectful of his wishes. We are also fortunate that Eoin Morgan, the 2019 World Cup-winning captain, who has been the vice captain, is willing to lead the side going forward,” he added.
Mysore further said Karthik and Morgan have worked brilliantly together during this tournament and although the England skipper takes over as captain, this is “effectively a role swap and we expect that this transition will work in a seamless manner”.
KKR are currently placed at the fourth spot in the points table with four wins in seven matches.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that several economic indicators in India are witnessing a ‘V-shaped’ recovery.
In her address at the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the ministerial-level committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), through video-conference, Sitharaman outlined the measures undertaken by the Indian government under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ package to foster a quick and more robust economic recovery in India.
A Finance Ministry statement noted that that she mentioned that the ‘V-shaped’ pattern of recovery is being seen in several high-frequency indicators including manufacturing PMI that reached the highest level in last eight years in the month of September 2020, presenting a strong recovery prospect for the manufacturing sector.
To stimulate consumer spending, measures worth $10 billion have been announced recently, Sitharaman added.
The discussions at the meeting were based on IMF Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda titled “Catalysing a Resilient Recovery”. The members of the IMFC updated the committee on the actions and measures taken by member countries to combat COVID-19 and its adverse impacts.
The Finance Minister also complimented IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and the IMF for providing wise counsel to the economies across the globe and felt that IMF’s assertion that a premature withdrawal of policy support could trigger liquidity shortfalls and insolvencies is relevant.
Noting that several low-income and developing countries are confronted with the challenge to protect and ensure livelihood for millions slipping below the poverty line, Sitharaman said that recovery and rehabilitation efforts in these countries must not be allowed to be undermined in any manner.
The IMFC meets twice a year, once during the Fund-Bank Spring Meetings in April, and again during the Annual Meetings in October.
The committee discusses matters of common concern affecting the global economy and advises the IMF on the direction of its work. This year, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, both the Spring and the Annual meetings took place through video-conference.
