Latest news with #Coronavirus
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Actor-influencer Joyita Chatterjee, on testing positive: Covid-19 brings back the pain of losing my father
Contracting Covid-19 in 2025 is still brutal,' says actor-influencer Joyita Chatterjee, who is currently homebound after she tested positive recently. She says the infection is 'intensely painful'. The actor adds that though she 'hadn't contracted Covid-19 during the pandemic' four years ago, she did witness her 'father's struggle with it, before eventually losing him due to Coronavirus'. Joyita adds that her current situation brings back the pain and memories of that 'challenging phase'. Sharing how she was diagnosed with Covid-19, she says, 'I thought it was common cold due to weather change, but my fever increased to 102°F. I also had severe joint pain and diarrhoea.' The actor says she panicked after seeing her test results, but her doctor reassured her of recovery: 'I am in strict isolation at home. Covid-19 doesn't just cause physical pain, but it also significantly impacts mental well-being and your professional life.' Is Joyita, who has done projects such as Balveer and Class of 2020 to her credit, missing work? 'I just want to recover quickly and return to work,' the actor ends.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
OPDs see rush as Covid cases rise in India; fever, diarrhoea, hoarseness common: Here are the symptoms
Coronavirus cases are once again rising in India, prompting states to ramp up preventive measures such as increased Covid testing and preparation of hospital beds. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) earlier stated that the variants currently circulating in the country are associated with mild symptoms. Among the Omicron subvariants detected are LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1. As monsoon-related respiratory illnesses rise, distinguishing Covid from the flu has become a clinical priority. Dr Dhiraj Bhattad, consultant, internal medicine at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, told Hindustan Times, 'Both flu and Covid-19 can cause fever, sore throat, cough, cold, headache, body ache and fatigue. But loss of taste and smell is a distinct sign of Covid.' Health officials have intensified surveillance and testing for Covid-19 in light of rising influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), especially in urban clusters. Doctors continue to caution the public about the difficulty in clinically distinguishing the flu from Covid. According to a report by News18, symptoms of Covid being reported in hospitals included low-grade fever, dry or irritated cough, hoarse voice, nasal congestion or mild runny nose. Also, fatigue and muscle aches, headache, mild gastrointestinal symptoms are also present, such as nausea or diarrhoea, and throat discomfort. With increasing Covid cases, states such as Mumbai and Haryana have stepped up preventive measures. Municipal Commissioner of Navi Mumbai, Kailas Shinde, said, 'We are ensuring adequate stock of essential medicines, PPE kits, surgical supplies, oxygen, and oxygen beds.' In Haryana, officials have been asked to ensure hospitals establish dedicated flu corners and maintain adequate isolation beds, oxygen supplies, PPE kits, N95 masks, antibiotics, and testing kits. At the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, special wards for Covid-19 patients, including ICU beds and high-dependency units, have been activated. Dr Sanjay Jain, dean research, PGIMER, said, 'Most new variant cases are mild, but vigilance is essential, especially to protect the vulnerable. Dr. Jain asked people to wear a mask while visiting crowded places, especially hospitals. In case of fever, cough, breathing issues, runny nose, or loose motions, don't delay in seeing a doctor. Avoid taking antibiotics or steroids without a doctor's advice. Extra care is advised for vulnerable population such as the elderly, those with other health problems, and those with weak immunity should stay away from crowds and maintain proper hand hygiene. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Economic uncertainty prevails in Israel with budget focusing on defence expenditure
In the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, Israel's economy experienced a moderate recovery, as a temporary ceasefire in Gaza enabled businesses to rebound before hostilities resumed in mid-March. A ceasefire had come into effect on 19 January 2025 and ended in mid-March 2025. Separately, a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon has held since late November 2024, although Lebanese authorities have claimed about 3,000 violations of the ceasefire, which have resulted in more than 200 deaths. According to the preliminary estimates of Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, the country's economy grew by 3.4%, on an annualised basis, in the first quarter of 2025; this was preceded by growths of 1.9% in Q4 and 5.7% in Q3 2024. The moderate growth in Q1 2025 was driven by an annualised 8.7% growth in fixed-asset investment and a 6.2% rise in exports, excluding diamonds and startups. Despite the growth momentum, private consumption fell by 5% on an annualised basis in Q1 2025, following a growth of 4.1% in Q4 2024. A decline in private consumption is generally seen as an indicator of declining consumer confidence and increasing concerns about the economic future. The economic risks in Israel have been rising in recent weeks, due to the end of the ceasefire in Gaza and the resumption of fighting. Israel resumed military operations in Gaza in mid-March 2025, following the end of a two-month ceasefire; this has led to a sharp escalation in violence and civilian casualties. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, at least 145 people were killed and over 450 people were injured in the first 24 hours alone. The resurgence of the war is likely to impact economic growth due to the mobilisation of reservists (a member of the military reserve forces), as businesses will have to find replacements for the employees who are called back to reserves. Additionally, the expenses related to mobilising reserve soldiers increase, thereby negatively impacting the economy; according to a study by Israel's Ministry of Finance conducted in 2024, the economic cost of a reserve soldier is approximately NIS48,000 ($12,741) per month. Moreover, financing the war requires raising the debt in enormous amounts; as a result, the debt raised in 2024 exceeded that raised during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis in 2020. According to government data, the country raised NIS278bn in debt in 2024, compared to NIS265bn in 2020. Another key factor that is likely to weigh on Israel's economic growth is the approval of the country's largest state budget ever. Although the approval of a budget represents a political achievement for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, it also presents a likely economic risk for the country, with the Bank of Israel and the Ministry of Finance repeatedly stating that the current government's priorities do not align with the economic challenges facing the country. Subsequently, there is a significant gap between the recommendations of professional bodies for the 2025 budget and the budget that was approved. In late March 2025, Israel's legislature - the Knesset - approved the 2025 state budget. The budget includes an expenditure of nearly NIS756bn, of which NIS136bn is intended to service the national debt. The government had allocated a significant portion of its overall budget towards the Ministry of Defense, amid its ongoing war against Hamas and Lebanon. The Ministry of Defense accounts for approximately NIS110bn of the remaining NIS620bn in spending. The budget, however, lacks policies aimed at promoting economic growth, contains no significant cut to the unnecessary coalition funds, and excludes funds promised under the 'Tkuma Law' for the rehabilitation of the communities along the Gaza border and in the north. In another setback, despite the minister of finance's December 2024 promise that the deficit would not exceed 4% of gross domestic product (GDP), the planned deficit in the approved 2025 budget already stands at 4.9%. This follows two years in which Israel did not meet its planned deficit target due to the war; in comparison, the deficit reached 4.1% of GDP in 2023 and 6.8% in 2024. The budget also places most of the burden on Israel's working population, with increases in National Insurance contributions, freezing of income tax brackets, reduction of paid convalescence days, and an increase in VAT; all these factors are likely to further impact economic growth. Although the budget includes across-the-board cuts in the education, health, and welfare sectors, the government had allocated the second- and third-largest budgetary allocations towards the education and healthcare sectors. The Ministry of Education received NIS92bn as part of the 2025 budget while the Ministry of Health received NIS59bn. The Israeli Ministry of Finance reported in mid-May 2025 that the country's budget deficit for the 12 months to April 2025 narrowed to 5.1% of GDP; this figure is, however, above the government's deficit target, which is capped at 4.9% of GDP. The country registered a budget deficit of NIS7.2bn in the first four months of 2025, compared to NIS38.1bn during the same period in 2024. This improvement is due to a 24.5% year-on-year (YoY) increase in tax revenues during January-April 2025, which was bolstered by stronger economic activity. The government's spending during the same period has, however, increased by 3.9% YoY, to NIS202.8bn. The increase is due to a rise in defence expenditure amid its ongoing war against Gaza and Lebanon, and additional allocations under the newly enacted annual budget. The Israeli Ministry of Finance has also reported that the government has implemented 32.8% of its original budget expenditure (excluding credit) as of April 2025. In comparison, the Ministry of Defense has implemented 39.2% of its total budget while the Civilian Ministries implemented 30.2% of its total budget, as of the same period. The implementation rate of some of the Civilian Ministries as of April 2025 were 33.9% by the Economic Ministries, 31.6% by the Social Ministries, and 26.6% by the Administrative Ministries. In April 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised down its economic growth projections for Israel for 2025 and 2026, despite expectations that these two years would mark a period of recovery following a year of war and sluggish growth in 2024. The IMF now expects the Israeli economy to expand by 3.2% in 2025 and 3.6% in 2026 - down from its previous forecast of 3.5% growth in 2025 and 4% in 2026. The IMF also expects inflation in Israel to be slightly higher this year (2.7%) than the Bank of Israel's estimate (2.6%), but slightly lower in 2026 (2%) compared to the central bank's projection (2.2%). "Economic uncertainty prevails in Israel with budget focusing on defence expenditure" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Trump issues series of pardons for politicians, union leader, rapper
US President Donald Trump issued a series of pardons on Wednesday, awarding them to a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a rapper known as NBA YoungBoy", a labour union leader and a onetime Army officer who flaunted safety measures during the Coronavirus pandemic. His actions mixed Trump's willingness to pardon high-profile Republicans and other supporters, donors and friends with the influence of Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently named his pardon czar after he offered a pardon to her in 2020. Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation. Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018 at the urging of celebrity Kim Kardashian West, allowing for Johnson's early release. Johnson then served as the featured speaker on the final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention, and Trump subsequently pardoned her before more recently naming her as his point person for pardons. Among those receiving the latest round of Trump pardons was Louisiana rap artiste NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for "Never Broke Again". In 2024, he was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah. Gaulden's and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on background to detail actions that had not yet been formally made public. In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building as a man, as a father, and as an artiste. He said this opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this", and thanked Johnson. Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. A video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called their daughter to say he was pardoning TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show "Chrisley Knows Best". Their show spotlighted the family's extravagant lifestyle, but the couple was convicted of conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area out of more than USD 30 million in loans by submitting false documents. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, addressed the Republican convention last summer and had long said her parents were treated unfairly. Also Wednesday, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader serving a life sentence. Hoover was first imprisoned in connection with a murder in 1973, and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise in 1998, but later renounced his criminal past and petitioned for a reduced sentence. The president also pardoned James Callahan, a New York union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report USD 315,000 in gifts from an advertising firm and was about to be sentenced. The president pardoned former Connecticut governor John Rowland, a Republican who served from 1995 to 2004 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for charges related to concealing his involvement in two federal election campaigns. He further pardoned Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after being convicted of tax fraud. Grimm won reelection in 2014 despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant that he ran. Grimm eventually resigned after pleading guilty and serving eight months in prison. Last year, Grimm was paralysed from the chest down when he was thrown off a horse during a polo tournament. Yet another Trump pardon was issued for Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw, who was convicted in 2022 of reporting to work without undergoing a Covid-19 test.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump issues series of pardons for politicians, union leader, rapper
NBA Youngboy, Donald Trump, Julie and Todd Chrisley WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump issued a series of pardons on Wednesday, awarding them to a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a rapper known as "NBA YoungBoy", a labour union leader and a onetime Army officer who flaunted safety measures during the Coronavirus pandemic. His actions mixed Trump's willingness to pardon high-profile Republicans and other supporters, donors and friends with the influence of Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently named his pardon czar after he offered a pardon to her in 2020. Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation. Trump commuted her life sentence in 2018 at the urging of celebrity Kim Kardashian West, allowing for Johnson's early release. Johnson then served as the featured speaker on the final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention, and Trump subsequently pardoned her before more recently naming her as his point person for pardons. Among those receiving the latest round of Trump pardons was Louisiana rap artiste NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for "Never Broke Again". In 2024, he was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이미지 영어에 대해서 40분만에 알려드립니다 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah. Gaulden's and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on background to detail actions that had not yet been formally made public. In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, "I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building - as a man, as a father, and as an artiste." He said this "opens the door to a future I've worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this", and thanked Johnson. Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. A video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called their daughter to say he was pardoning TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of the reality show "Chrisley Knows Best". Their show spotlighted the family's extravagant lifestyle, but the couple was convicted of conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area out of more than USD 30 million in loans by submitting false documents. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, addressed the Republican convention last summer and had long said her parents were treated unfairly. Also Wednesday, Trump commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader serving a life sentence. Hoover was first imprisoned in connection with a murder in 1973, and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise in 1998, but later renounced his criminal past and petitioned for a reduced sentence. The president also pardoned James Callahan, a New York union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report USD 315,000 in gifts from an advertising firm and was about to be sentenced. The president pardoned former Connecticut governor John Rowland, a Republican who served from 1995 to 2004 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for charges related to concealing his involvement in two federal election campaigns. He further pardoned Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after being convicted of tax fraud. Grimm won reelection in 2014 despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant that he ran. Grimm eventually resigned after pleading guilty and serving eight months in prison. Last year, Grimm was paralysed from the chest down when he was thrown off a horse during a polo tournament. Yet another Trump pardon was issued for Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw, who was convicted in 2022 of reporting to work without undergoing a Covid-19 test.
