News updates from Hindustan Times at 9 AM: Amid Covid-19 crisis, Indian firms hope for quick payments of dues by govt and all the latest news at this hour

Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion at 9 AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion at 9 AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Amid Covid-19 crisis, Indian firms hope for quick payments of dues by govt

India’s businesses are expecting the government to roll out a fiscal relief and stimulus package of the same magnitude as the one unveiled by the US -- equivalent to around 10% of GDP -- but are also hoping the Centre and states, various administrative departments, state-owned companies and utilities will accelerate payments owed to them as they battle an economic crisis of never-seen-before proportions. Read more

‘PM will speak his mind, can’t interfere’: Mamata on ‘light the lamp’ initiative

West Bengal has already run into losses worth thousands of crores of rupees due to the ongoing lockdown, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday, but asserted that she took pride in the fact that her government still managed to credit the salaries of employees on time. Read more

900k people, 241 zones: Mumbai’s mega plan to fight Covid-19

The worst Covid-19-affected city in India has activated 474 teams across 241 containment zones and checked at least 900,000 people as part of its plan to stop the spread of the Sars-Cov-2 virus through human-to-human contact. As of 9 pm on April 3, Mumbai had 278 positive cases and 19 deaths – the highest for any Indian city – according to data released by Maharashtra’s nodal state health department. Read more

Happy birthday Lisa Ray: From auditioning for Bond film to beating cancer, here are 5 major revelations by the actor-writer

Lisa Ray, known in India as a successful model-turned-actor with films like Water and Kasoor to her credit, is celebrating her 48th birthday today. The cancer survivor is now also a writer and released her memoir, Close to the Bone, last year, spilling some of the deepest secrets about her life. Read more

‘Everything revolves around my daughter right now’

Even though it can get a little bit frustrating, it is important to stay at home in these troubled times. The feeling of frustration is not bigger than life. You just have to deal with it for a few days, and then we might get used to it. Read more

Binge-watching, anxiety or stress? Don’t let quarantine ruin your sleeping pattern

With our daily routines and body clocks overturned and most of us watching online streaming platforms till the wee hours of the morning and then getting up to work from home, sleep has kind of evaded us. Read more

IIT Hyderabad-incubated startup’s low-cost ventilator can be controlled via a phone app

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad-incubated startup Aerobiosys Innovations has developed a low-cost, portable, emergency-use ventilator, the institute said on Friday. Read more