Coronavirus forces Delta Air Lines to burn $60M per day as flights are grounded

Lawmakers pressure airlines to refund passengers for coronavirus cancellations

Some lawmakers are pressuring airlines to issue cash refunds to customers who have canceled trips due to coronavirus. FOX Business’ Hillary Vaughn with more.

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Delta Air Lines is burning through cash and expects to post a massive shortfall in revenue in the second quarter after the coronavirus pandemic brought its business to a standstill, CEO Ed Bastian said in a letter to employees on Friday.

Bastian said the airline is losing more than $60 million in cash every day and “we still haven’t seen the bottom.” Financial relief for U.S. airlines included in the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package helped airlines avoid initial layoffs but aren’t a sufficient check against the industry’s bleak short-term outlook, he added.

IN CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, LOCKHEED MARTIN HIRES NEARLY 1,000 WORKERS

“We appreciate the decisive action of our nation’s leaders to protect our people,” Bastian said in the letter. “But those funds are not nearly enough. We are expecting our revenue in the second quarter to be down 90 percent. Without the self-help actions we are taking to save costs and raise new financing, that money would be gone by June.”

Delta shares sank nearly 7 percent in after-hours trading. The airline’s stock is down more than 60 percent so far this year.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: EASTERN AIRLINES FLYING STRANDED AMERICANS HOME

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
DAL DELTA AIR LINES INC. 22.48 -0.20 -0.88%

In the letter, Bastian said the embattled carrier will operate a schedule at roughly 80 percent below expected capacity in April due to sweeping flight restrictions in the U.S. and abroad.

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The stimulus package included $25 billion in funds to assist U.S. airlines with payment of employee salaries and benefits and $25 billion toward loans and additional tax relief measures. As a result, Delta employees won’t face pay cuts or furloughs before September 30.

Bastian said more than 30,000 Delta employees had taken voluntary unpaid furloughs. Other employees are operating on reduced schedules, while top executives have taken pay cuts.

“My deepest thanks goes to every single one of you,” Bastian said regarding the employees who took voluntary unpaid furloughs. "That is the most important action you can take to support our company. We continue to need more volunteers, and this week announced longer-term opportunities of leaves lasting six, nine and 12 months. Please consider whether a short- or long-term leave makes sense for you and your family at this time."

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Bank of America slammed over favoring small biz loans for existing customers

Bank of America said on Friday it has already received about 35,000 applications for federally backed small-business loans within hours of starting to accept them.

The second largest US bank by assets became the first major bank to accept applications for the massive small-business rescue program approved by Congress last week. But the bank was already being criticized on social media after its CEO said on CNBC that it was prioritizing existing customers.

“Speed is of the essence here for these types of small businesses,” Chief Executive Brian Moynihan said in a CNBC interview on Friday. “The money will start to go out the door once these applications are processed over the next short period of time.”

Small businesses, which employ about half of US private sector employees, have been hit hard during the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which has caused cities to shut down non-essential businesses. Many people are staying home, which has sharply cut into consumer spending.

Bank of America’s consumer transaction volume fell from an average of $60 billion a week to $40 billion through March, Moynihan said.

Seeking to bail out millions of small businesses and slow unemployment, Congress included $349 billion for small firms in its $2 trillion stimulus package passed last week. Small businesses will need to rely on banks to get the funds.

Banks have been scrambling to prepare for overwhelming demand for the loans while awaiting guidance from the government. As of Friday morning, competitors JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo were not accepting applications online.

“Wells Fargo is working as quickly as possible to be ready to assist small-business customers as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP),” a spokesman said in a statement.

Bank of America is prioritizing processing applications for small-business clients that already have a borrowing relationship with the bank, Moynihan said.

“If you borrow from another bank … Please go back to them because they’re your core bank and they know you the best and can process you the fastest,” he said.

It has also drawn criticism from Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. After hearing from a Bank of America customer who was denied a loan, he called the credit account stipulation a “a ridiculous requirement that isn’t anywhere in law,” in a tweet on Friday.

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Making coronavirus ventilators: A post-pandemic production blueprint

GM exec: Coronavirus safety measures will remain for future car production

General Motors is keeping employees safe while pivoting to ventilator production to help the coronavirus fight. FOX Business’ Grady Trimble with more.

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When General Motors employees return to making automobiles, their workplaces will be “vastly different” from the ones they left just three weeks ago.

HELP WANTED DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: THESE COMPANIES ARE HIRING

The Big 3 automakers, Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, halted vehicle production amid the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, GM and Ford have partnered with companies that make ventilators and repurposed existing auto factories to ramp up production of the life-saving devices.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
GM GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY 17.91 -0.28 -1.57%
F FORD MOTOR COMPANY 4.21 -0.15 -3.44%
FCAU FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES N.V. 6.67 -0.14 -1.98%

“We’re installing equipment right now, and our hope is to start moving parts and start building ventilators this weekend,” Jim Glynn, GM’s head of global workplace safety, told FOX Business.

United Auto Workers’ members who offered to help are getting a glimpse of what the new normal will be at automotive and other manufacturing facilities when work eventually resumes.

They fill out a health questionnaire, their temperature is taken, they clean their workstations regularly, they wear masks and there are markers to delineate proper social distancing.

CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS BY STATE

“Frankly, that’s going to be our standard across our whole system,” Glynn explained. “As the pandemic kind of eases up and we bring people back to work, every facility we have will be at this protocol level.”

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Before the Big 3 decided to close their factories, the United Auto Workers pushed back on the companies, arguing members weren’t safe making cars amid the coronavirus outbreak. When workers return, Glynn hopes these changes will put them at ease.

“Two weeks ago, we didn’t understand how this virus propagates and how it can infect people, and so there was a lot of unrest,” he said.

The company plans to copy what it’s learned while restarting factories in Asia, which were forced to close long before the virus was rapidly spreading in the United States and are now back open. GM is also working with its Big 3 rivals, Ford and FCA, to share safety protocols in what Glynn calls “a team effort.”

It remains unclear when North American factories will reopen, but the automakers will have a health and safety blueprint when they do.

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For now, GM is focusing on face mask production at its Warren, Michigan, facility and ventilator production in Kokomo, Indiana. In partnership with Ventec Life Systems, GM aims to produce 10,000 of the machines per month once it reaches scale.

“The people that have raised their hands to do this, they are fired up,” Glynn said. “From a phone call to reality in literally weeks is pretty amazing.”

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Best The Sims 4 cheats – how to get infinite money, make 'instant lovers' and bring Sims back from the dead

IF you're self-isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic, now might be a good time to join the virtual world of The Sims 4.

Fancy eternal life and an infinite amount of money? Check out some of the best Sims 4 cheats below.        

How to use Sims 4 cheat codes

If you want to apply any standard Sims 4 cheat code you'll need to learn the following pattern.

Hold Ctrl + Shift + C while you're in the game and you'll open the cheat console.

Then you just need to type the cheat code of your choice into the text field that should now be open.

Some cheats require a "shift and click" approach and for these you'll need to type "testingCheats [true/false]".

Shift + Click Sims 4 cheats

The following cheats all require you to type "testingCheats [true/false]" once you've opened up the cheat text field with the steps above.

Then you just need to press the Shift key and click on the Sim or object you want to do the following things to:

  • Teleport Sim: Shift+Click on the ground to teleport a Sim to your chosen area
  • Make Dirty/Clean: Once you've typed this you can then click on an object to make it dirty or clean again
  • Make head: You can use this phrase to place an object on top of your Sim
  • Add to Family: Add in a Sim not currently in your family with this phrase
  • Reset Object: Reset the status of a Sim or object
  • Modify in CAS: This lets you modify a Sim but will not change their name or traits
  • Cheat Need > Enable/Disable Need Decay: This can stop a Sim from having a Need change
  • Cheat Need > Make Happy: With this you can make your Sim happy and feel fulfilled 

Sims 4 money cheats

These cheats are probably the most important if you want your Sims to have all the material things they desire. Follow the initial cheat steps and then type in whichever of the following words you fancy:

  • motherlode: gets you 50,000 simoleons
  • household.autopay_bills [true/false]: this turns the bills off and can also turn them on
  • FreeRealEstate [on/off]: Make lots free or not when you type this in on the world or neighbourhood view
  • kaching: gets you 1,000 simoleons
  • rosebud: gets you 1,000 simoleons
  • Money [#]: This allows you to make your household simoleons an exact number

Make your Sims super talented

If you wanted your Sim to be very logical you'd need to type "stats.set_skill_level Major_Logic 10." Sim skill levels max out at 10 but if you want them to not completely have the skill type a lower number. The same applies to lots of other skills, you just need to substitute the word "Logic" for the following:

  • HomestyleCooking 
  • GourmetCooking
  • Bartending  
  • Charisma 
  • Comedy 
  • Fishing 
  • Fitness 
  • Gardening
  • Guitar  
  • Piano 
  • Violin 
  • Handiness
  • Mischief  
  • Painting 
  • Photography 
  • Programming 
  • RocketScience 
  • VideoGaming 
  • Writing 

If you want to apply this to a child Sim then you need to substitute with "Skill_Child_[Creativity/Mental/Motor/Social]". This will max all those things out to 10.

Kill and bring back to life Sims and pets

We all seem to know someone whose killed a Sim. Here's what you need to type to play god:

  • death.toggle [true/false]: This can save your Sims from death completely or kill them
  • traits.equip_trait Ghost_OldAge [Pet ID]: This will turn your pet into a ghost but you need to fill in the Pet ID first, to get this type in "sims.get_sim_id_by_name [PetFirstName] [PetLastName]" and fill in the appropriate sections

Friendship and romance Sims 4 cheats

  • relationship.introduce_sim_to_all_others: This instantly introduces your Sim to their neighbours
  • modifyrelationship [YourSimFirstName] [YourSimLastName] [TargetSimFirstName] [TargetSimLastName] 100 LTR_Friendship_Main: Amend the name sections here to make a Sim instantly 100% friends with your Sim
  • relationships.create_friends_for_sim: Makes a new Sim on the lot instantly friends with yours
  • modifyrelationship [YourSimFirstName] [YourSimLastName] [TargetSimFirstName] [TargetSimLastName] 100 LTR_Romance_Main: Amend the name sections here to make a Sim instantly 100% romantic with your Sim, the number value can be changed if you want to turn love to hate

Dream career and house on Sims4

If you want to build somewhere you shouldn't or buy secret objects then you'll need these codes:

  • bb.showhiddenobjects: Typing this lets you buy hidden objects
  • bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement: This lets you buy items locked by careers
  • modebb.moveobjects: This one lets you ignore the usual object placement rules
  • bb.enablefreebuild: With this you can build anywhere, even on lots that are locked
  • careers.add_career [career]: You need to substitute the last "career" with your career of choice
  • careers.promote [career]: Use this to promote a Sim
  • careers.remove [career]: Use this to remove a Sim's job
  • careers.retire [career]: If you use this your Sim can quit and get a weekly pension

How playing Sims could make you 'happier' and 'healthier'

It turns out that playing the life simulation game could actually make you happier and healthier, according to a scientist.

Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown said that playing games can serve as a healthy escape from everyday life.

He also argued that it is a better alternative to other vices like alcohol and drugs.

Steve said to Unilad: "The suggestion that we may spend more time in a virtual world than the physical one has been developing speedily over the years and has fast become a way in which we can live an alternative life in exactly the way we want.

"The Sims can allow a person to escape social normality, its pressures and chronic stresses that are so prevalent in the real world, it allows the gamer to create a perfect reality in which they play the main character and have full control over the outcome."

He added that there is a risk for people to “burn out” if they don’t have a suitable means of escape.

Steve said that The Sims is a particular positive way to do so as players can explore their lives or personality in a way they hadn’t previously.

The Sims 4: Island Living trailer shows off latest expansion's new locations, jobs and more

In other gaming news, you can check out your Xbox addiction over the past 10 years with the new 'My Decade on Xbox' tool.

The PlayStation 5 could be cheaper than the new Xbox when the pair of consoles hit shelves later this year.

And, we rounded up all the free Xbox and PS4 games you can download in April. Whats your favourite video game? Let us know in the comments…

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Devaluation: What is it and how does it impact the economy?

Devaluation of a currency can be both deliberate and reactionary. The UK government can decide to devalue GBP if it feels that it is necessary. It can be done by formally setting a lower exchange rate of the currency in relation to foreign currencies

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There are a number of reasons why a government would do this.

It could be done to try to offset a worrying trade imbalance, as devaluation will reduce the country’s export costs making them more competitive in the global economy.

This could also in turn lead to a shrinkage in the nation’s trade deficits as imports will become more expensive, leading to a demand for the country’s exports.

Devaluation can also be used to reduce government debt burdens, making the ongoing repayments cheaper which will likely be important for the state at the moment as care packages are rolled out.

While devaluing a currency can be beneficial it is not a risk free option.

Devaluation could lead to problems with competition, higher inflation levels and an increased cost of goods and services in the long term.

On top of this there may be repercussions from other countries.

While the government issuing the devaluation may see short term benefits, the problems they’re avoiding will likely just be passed on to one of their trading partners.

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Those trading partners will likely take further measures to offset the damage made to their economy.

In the past devaluation has led to ugly “currency wars”.

A recent example of this can be found in the US – China trade war.

In late 2019, China responded to tariffs imposed on them by the Trump administration. The People’s Bank of China decided to set their currencies rate below seven yuan per dollar which had lasting ramifications.

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The UK itself has had two major instances of currency devaluation.

In 1949, the government decided to reduce their exchange rate in order to support the economy following difficulties with the Second World War and labour disputes.

Devaluation was reluctantly used again in 1966 as deficits rose to huge levels, strikes continued to harm the economy and oil embargoes were issued.

While devaluation can be manually done it can also occur as an offshoot of other economic actions.

One of the most common monetary tools used by governments and central banks is cuts made to interest rates. Generally, when a central bank reduces a base rate the corresponding currency is devalued against other currencies across the world. This will likely be the most common reason for currency devaluation.

Central banks across the world have been cutting interest rates for years in an attempt to boost their economies. 

The Bank of England has recently lowered the base rate to 0.1 percent which is unprecedentedly low. While many feel that it should help the economy during this tough period it is not free of negative consequences.

Lowering the base rate has a knock on effect for consumers as retail banks tend to copy what the Bank of England does. This means that savings accounts across the country will have their rates lowered, resulting in cash being quickly out-paced by inflation.

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China probes fraud claims at Luckin Coffee

Luckin Coffee shares plunge after investigation finds COO lied about sales

Chinese company Luckin Coffee lied about sales numbers in 2019, according to an internal investigation. FOX Business’ Lauren Simonetti with more.

China's securities regulator said on Friday it would investigate claims of fraud at Luckin Coffee and sources said some of the banks involved in the Chinese chain's successful U.S. IPO last year were reviewing their work in the listing.

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Shares of Luckin, which competes in China with Starbucks, sank as much as 81% on Thursday in New York after it announced an internal investigation had shown its chief operating officer and other employees fabricated sales deals.

The company said it had suspended COO Jian Liu and employees reporting to him following initial recommendations from a special committee that was appointed to investigate issues in its financial statements for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2019.

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The China Securities Regulatory Commission said on Friday it would investigate the case in line with any international investigation and strongly condemned any financial misconduct.

"Regardless of the listing location, listed companies should strictly abide by laws and regulations in relevant markets, and fulfill obligations to make truthful, accurate and complete disclosures,'' the regulator said.

Luckin did not respond to a request for comment on the agency's observations.

At least two of the four banks which led Luckin's initial public offering in May last year have begun reviewing their work for the float, according to four sources with knowledge of the scrutiny.

China International Capital Corp. and Morgan Stanley have begun informal investigations into the due diligence they did for the deal, according to the four sources.

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The two, along with Credit Suisse and Haitong International Securities, led Luckin's IPO, in which it raised $561 million at $17 per share, valuing the group at about $4.2 billion.

The four banks also worked on a follow-on share sale and a convertible bond worth a total of $980 million in January.

CICC, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and Haitong declined to comment.

Luckin's shares tumbled to $6.40 by the end of Thursday trading from $26.20 at Wednesday's close, wiping out about $5 billion in market capitalization.

Bankers and investors warned on Friday that Luckin's issues were likely to weigh on other Chinese companies considering a U.S. IPO – a group already affected by the trade tensions of 2019.

LUCKIN COFFEE ACCUSES OPERATING CHIEF OF FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT

“Sino-U.S. relations are bad already and Luckin has provided a perfect opportunity for China bashers in the U.S. who were already suspicious about Chinese companies,'' said one Hong Kong-based investor who focuses on American Depositary Receipts – a common form of shares for foreign companies listed in the U.S.

In September, sources told Reuters the U.S. government was considering delisting Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges, echoing efforts by lawmakers last June to force U.S.-listed Chinese companies to submit to greater regulatory oversight or face delisting.

Regardless of the listing location, listed companies should strictly abide by laws and regulations in relevant markets.

It will affect potential U.S. IPOs from China. China's economy is not doing well already and with Luckin's scandal, these companies will face much tighter scrutiny for going public, said a banker who specializes in tech firms'
fundraisings, including IPOs.

Luckin said on Thursday that its investigation had found that fabricated sales from the second quarter of 2019 to the fourth were worth about 2.2 billion yuan ($310 million).

That equates to about 40 percent of the annual sales projected by analysts, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

US-CHINA TRADE DEAL DELIVERING DESPITE CORONAVIRUS

Liu has been the COO of the company since May 2018. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Founded in June 2017, Luckin had been one of China's few successful IPOs in New York last year, with a number of prominent U.S. investors, including hedge funds, investing in the company's shares.

Like others in the industry, the company has been hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic. In late January, it was forced to temporarily close an estimated 200 coffee shops in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the outbreak, as well as many in other cities.

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Stocks fight losses after dismal jobs report

Investors must look for quality, strong stocks in bear market: Expert

Haverford Trust Company co-CIO Henry Smith says pent-up consumer demand will drive recovery.

U.S. equity markets tumbled Friday after a dismal March jobs report showing the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. economy harder than expected.

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 203 points, or 0.95 percent, in morning trading as unemployment surged to a level near the worst of the Trump era. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.67 percent and 0.65 percent, respectively.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
I:DJI DOW JONES AVERAGES 21197.45 -215.99 -1.01%
SP500 S&P 500 2521.75 -5.15 -0.20%
I:COMP NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX 7475.159195 -12.15 -0.16%

The Labor Department said the U.S. economy lost 701,000 nonfarm jobs in the month as the unemployment rate climbed to 4.4 percent. Wall Street economists surveyed by Refinitiv were anticipating a loss of 100,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent.

The U.S. economy had added 273,000 jobs in February as the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5 percent.

Meanwhile, oil continued higher, with West Texas Intermediate crude up 12 percent near $28.25 per barrel, after reports indicated OPEC and its allies will hold a virtual meeting on Monday in an attempt to end the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Continental Resources were among the names in focus as oil executives were set to meet with President Trump on Friday.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
XOM EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION 40.78 +0.39 +0.95%
CVX CHEVRON CORP. 76.55 +0.43 +0.56%
CLR CONTINENTAL RESOURCES 8.38 +0.04 +0.48%

Elsewhere, Tesla shares surged after the electric-vehicle maker reported record first-quarter deliveries despite disruptions caused by the pandemic. The company delivered 88,400 vehicles in the quarter, up from about 63,000 a year earlier.

Bed Bath & Beyond announced it was furloughing the majority of its workers until at least May 2.

On the earnings front, amusement company Dave & Buster’s reported better-than-expected top- and bottom-line results, but suspended its dividend and share buyback program.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
TSLA TESLA INC. 490.42 +35.95 +7.91%
BBBY BED BATH & BEYOND INC. 3.62 +0.06 +1.69%
PLAY DAVE & BUSTER’S ENTERTAINMENT INC 10.56 +0.51 +5.06%
CHWY CHEWY INC. 34.11 -0.95 -2.71%

Pet-food seller Chewy reported a smaller-than-anticipated loss and in-line revenue.

U.S. Treasurys gained ground, pushing the yield on the 10-year note lower by 3.7 basis points to 0.59 percent.

In Europe, markets were lower across the board, with Britain’s FTSE down 0.85 percent, France’s CAC lower by 1.2 percent and Germany’s DAX weaker by 0.2 percent.

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Asian markets were mixed with Japan’s Nikkei edging up 0.01 percent while China’s Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slid 0.6 percent and 0.19 percent, respectively.

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U.S. Consumer Sentiment Drops Much More Than Initially Estimated In March

Consumer sentiment in the U.S. deteriorated by much more than initially estimated in the month of March, according to revised data released by the University of Michigan on Friday.

The report said the consumer sentiment index for March was downwardly revised to 89.1 from the preliminary reading of 95.9.

The consumer sentiment index is now down sharply from the final February reading of 101.0, reflecting the fourth largest one-month decline in nearly a half-century.

Surveys of Consumers chief economist Richard Curtin noted the steepest monthly drop was the 12.7-point nosedive seen in response to the deepening recession in October 2008.

Curtin said there were also two 12.2-point slumps in response to the 1980 recession and Hurricane Katrina in September 2005.

“The 1980 and 2008 collapses in consumer confidence sparked long and deep recessions,” Curtin said. “The Katrina decline was reversed within three months, and some observers compared that ‘V’ shaped economic episode to the expected impact of the coronavirus.”

He added, “What didn’t show a ‘V’ shape response was the recovery of New Orleans, a closer comparison to today’s national economy.”

The report said the current economic conditions index tumbled to 103.7 in March from 114.8 in February, while the index of consumer expectations plummeted to 79.7 from 92.1.

On the inflation front, one-year inflation expectations fell to 2.2 percent in March from 2.4 percent in February, while five-year inflation expectations were unchanged at 2.3 percent.

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Meet Radhamani Amma, a 69 year-old who can operate a forklift

Radhamani Amma from Kochi is authorised to drive 11 vehicle classes, and can skilfully manoeuvre everything from a road roller to a tractor

Sixty-nine year old Radhamani Amma of Thoppumpady, near Fort Kochi, looks more the indulgent grandmother, than somebody who is authorised to drive 11 vehicle classes. She can operate an excavator, forklift, and crane; drive a road roller, tractor, trailer (for containers), bus and lorry. She also has a four-wheeler, three-wheeler and two-wheeler license.

Radhamani is perhaps one of the first women in Kerala to get a heavy vehicle license. She got her first for both bus and lorry in 1988, encouraged by her husband who started the A-Z Driving School, in Thoppumpady in the 1970s. Then drove a bus from Thoppumpady to Cherthala, 33-odd kms, where the heavy vehicle licensing authority was based at the time. “I had my husband, TV Lalan, accompany me, I was not afraid of driving the bus. It is like any other vehicle besides I was driving after learning how to,” she says.

Hailing from Arookutty, near Kochi, she came to Thoppumpady as a 17 year-old bride. “My Class 10 results were announced after I came here,” she adds with a laugh. Her husband passed away in 2004, and ever since, she has been at the helm of the driving school, which she runs with her two sons, daughter-in-law and grandson. She still counts her husband as her biggest support, stating “all this is possible because of him.”

In order to run a driving school, it is mandated that the proprietors have licenses for the vehicles they teach. Although Radhamani does not need to drive any of these, as she is not a part of the regular teaching team of her driving school, she gets to use her skills once in way when she pitches in to do demonstrations for students.

Learning to drive

The first vehicle Radhamani learnt to drive was a car, for which she got a license as a 30 year-old in 1981. Later when Lalan decided to teach students how to drive heavy vehicles, as a stakeholder Radhamani says she too had to learn. “Learning or getting a license is not difficult. You are being taught what to do, you just follow the instructions,” she says. However, she admits that the did find driving the container trailer challenging. “It is not an easy vehicle to manoeuvre, especially tough is reversing it," she says. "I have driven most of these vehicles on the driving track,” she confesses.

Which is the one vehicle that she has not tried? The tower crane, she says. “It is quite high, there a quite a few steps to reach the cabin, climbing into it is not easy, especially in a sari,” she says. Her sari also made it difficult to learn how to ride a bicycle. “I never got around to learning cycling. Riding a bicycle in a sari or skirt was not easy back in the day: The ladies bicycle wasn’t common and learning it on a cycle with the bar didn’t appeal to me,” she states.

Radhamani Amma is at ease with most heavy vehicles  
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

Despite being able to rumble by in a lorry, Radhamani got her two-wheeler comparatively late, in 1993, but it quickly became her favourite mode of transport. She still rides her scooter everywhere. “Back then the cars would be out for driving lessons, and I would be stuck. So my husband bought me a scooter and told everyone that it was mine alone. I find it is the most convenient means of transport. I take the car out only if I need to but I prefer the two-wheeler.”

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NHS scam warning: Horrific way scammers are attempting to profit from coronavirus crisis

While the UK continues its battle to cope amid the coronavirus crisis – with the outbreak not only affecting people’s health but impacting financially too – Action Fraud has warned that scammers are attempting to take advantage of the unprecedented time. The UK’s national fraud reporting centre has received 41 reports of one particular type of scam over the last two days, it said yesterday.

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The shocking tactic consists of a scam email in which the sender purports to be from HM Government asking for donations to the National Health Service (NHS) during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This is a fake email and your money will only end up in the hands of a criminal,” Action Fraud stated.

The fraud reporting centre added that the NHS would never ask people to send money directly to a bank account.

Those who wish to donate to the NHS are able to do so via their official channels, or by a local NHS Trust.

Action Fraud also warned: “Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails and never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial details.”

People can get the latest health information and advice about COVID-19 by visiting the NHS website.

For the latest health information and advice about COVID-19 please visit the NHS website.

Amid the heightened threat of online scams and fraud to people’s finances, Dr Lennon Chang, criminology Professor at Monash University, has warned about online scams which have emerged amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are seeing scam emails and phishing emails amidst COVID-19,” Dr Chang said.

“Cyber criminals are using social engineering methods to find topics that attract people’s attention and they lure people to open the links.

“This includes, for example, information about COVID-19,, how to prevent COVID-19 or updates on the situation of the virus.

“Fake websites have also been established to collect donations. I think the general public is the main target but some scams and phishing are designed for the advanced persistent threats.

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However, following some tips could help to improve cyber safety and potentially become more aware of potential scams.

“It is important that people double check before they click on the link attached in the email,” Dr Chang said.

“It is especially important when most of us are working from home now.

“Be wary when giving away personal information, ID and passwords.”

Dr Chang added: “Maintain good cyber hygiene.”

Public Health England has said that as of 9am on April 2 2020, 163,194 people have been tested for coronavirus (COVID-19), of which 33,718 were confirmed positive.

As of 5pm on April 1 2020, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 2,921 have died.

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