Covid LIVE: TN schools to re-open on Feb 1; Kerala logs 51,739 new cases

Tamil Nadu govt announces reopening of physical classes for students of standard 1 to 12 from Feb 1, decides to lift night curfew from Jan 28

10:39 PM

India, central Asian countries pitch for boosting trade, connectivity

Leaders of five central Asian countries on Thursday welcomed India's proposal to establish a joint working group to boost connectivity to the region through the Chabahar port in Iran.

 

During the India-Central Asia Summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, the leaders emphasised that connectivity projects could be a force multiplier for trade and economic cooperation and contacts between countries and people.

 

The leaders also stressed on making concerted efforts to boost trade and investment in sectors such as medicine, healthcare, education, information technology, business process outsourcing, infrastructure, agriculture and agri-processing, energy, space industry, textiles, leather and footwear industry, gems and jewellery.

9:33 PM

EU regulator recommends Pfizer's Covid pill be authorised

The European Medicines Agency has recommended that Pfizer's coronavirus antiviral drug be authorised for use in the 27-nation European Union, the first time the agency has recommended a pill for treating COVID-19.

 

In a statement on Thursday, the EU drug regulator said giving the green light to Pfizer's Paxlovoid could help people infected with COVID-19 avoid more serious disease and being hospitalised. EMA's expert committee recommended the pill be given to adults who don't require oxygen and who are at higher risk of severe disease.

 

The drug was cleared by regulators in the US and Britain in late December, although authorities noted that supplies would be extremely limited.

9:12 PM

Nashik records 4,696 new Covid cases in 48 hrs; seven casualties

With the addition of 4,696 new COVID-19 cases over the last two days, the tally of infections in Maharashtra Nashik district has reached 4,59,328, an official said on Thursday.

 

At least seven patients died of the infection in the last 48 hours, raising the toll to 8792, he said.

 

As many as 5,385 patients have been discharged from hospitals since Wednesday, taking the count of recoveries to 4,33,215, leaving the district with 17,321 active cases, the official said.

 

Of the total number of cases reported so far, 2,63,554 were from Nashik city, 1,70,357 from other parts of the district, 13,685 from Malegaon and 7,816 from outside the district, the administration said.

8:40 PM

Karnataka reports 38,083 fresh Covid cases

8:39 PM

Maharashtra reports 25,425 fresh Covid cases

8:27 PM

TN schools to re-open on Feb 1

7:15 PM

Delhi reports 4,291 Covid cases

7:02 PM

Will ask Congress workers to decide Punjab CM candidate: Rahul

6:42 PM

'There is no fight between us': Punjab CM on Sidhu

6:37 PM

Kerala logs 51,739 fresh Covid cases

Kerala logged 51,739 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday taking the caseload to 58,26,596, while the death toll rose to 52,343 with 68 COVID-19-related deaths being registered.

 

On Wednesday, the state had recorded 49,771. The state on Tuesday had registered 55,475 cases, the highest ever single day spike in the infection since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

 

The previous highest ever in a single day was recorded on January 20- 46,387.

 

The state Health department said 116,003 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

6:30 PM

Jaishankar tests Covid positive

4:59 PM

PM Modi at the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Summit

4:57 PM

'Early indication of plateauing Covid cases reported in some places'

4:34 PM

Omicron sub-variant BA.2 is more prevalent in India now: Govt

4:31 PM

Fully vaccinated people are 75% now: Ministry of Health

4:28 PM

As of Jan 26, 551 districts were reporting case positivity rate of over 5%: Health Ministry

4:27 PM

Karnataka, Maha, Kerala have over 300k active Covid cases, says govt

4:00 PM

Totally delighted that AI takeover process is complete, says Tata Sons chairman

3:54 PM

Air India has been handed over to Tata Sons: DIPAM Secretary

3:45 PM

Air India formally handed over to Tata Group, says Scindia

2:56 PM

Chairman of Tata Sons calls on PM Modi before handover of Air India

2:15 PM

Charanjit Singh, legendary hockey player, dies

व उल्लेखनीय योगदान के लिए उन्हें अर्जुन अवार्ड और पद्मश्री से सम्मानित किया गया था।

आपका जीवन युवा खिलाड़ियों के लिए प्रेरणा है। ईश्वर स्नेहजनों को यह दुःख सहने की शक्ति व पुण्यात्मा को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान दे।

ॐ शान्ति

2:02 PM

'Lata Mangeshkar is showing signs of improvement'

2:02 PM

ED arrests Karvy Group officials in Rs 2,000-cr scam

1:51 PM

Weekend curfew to be lifted in Delhi, night curfew to remain

1:32 PM

Green hydrogen policy to be unveiled in next 10 days: R K Singh

The green hydrogen policy will be unveiled in the next 10 days featuring incentives like free transmission for 25 years to boost production of this clean source of energy, Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said on Thursday.

 

"We will come out with the green hydrogen policy in the next 10 days. We will give free transmission for 25 years. So you can generate power for making hydrogen in Rajasthan or transport it to Guwahati or to Baruni refinery (to make hydrogen)," said Singh while addressing a virtual conference on smart metering organised by industry body CII.

 

The minister also said that the policy will feature dollar denominated bids, offer of land in renewable energy parks and land allocation near ports for creating bunkers for green hydrogen or ammonia.

1:22 PM

EU launches WTO action against China over Lithuania row

The European Union said Thursday it has launched action against China at world trade's governing body for engaging in discriminatory practices against Lithuania, saying that Beijing's spat with the Baltic country is hitting other EU exports.

Lithuania broke with diplomatic custom by agreeing that the Taiwanese office in Vilnius would bear the name Taiwan instead of Chinese Taipei, a term used by other countries to avoid offending Beijing. China considers Taiwan part of its territory with no right to diplomatic recognition.

Beijing expelled the Lithuanian ambassador and withdrew its own ambassador. Last month, Lithuania closed its own embassy in the Chinese capital. Tensions have mounted, and Lithuania accuses Beijing of holding up goods at China's borders. The EU is now turning to the World Trade Organization.

1:08 PM

Delhi HS reduces penalty on actor Juhi Chawla in 5G impact lawsuit

1:07 PM

I-T refunds worth Rs 1.62 trn issued so far this fiscal

The Income Tax department on Thursday said it has issued refunds worth Rs 1.62 trn to more than 1.79 crore taxpayers so far this fiscal.

This includes 1.41 crore refunds for 2020-21 fiscal amounting to Rs 27,111.40 crore.

"CBDT issues refunds of over Rs 1,62,448 crore to more than 1.79 crore taxpayers from 1st Apr,2021 to 24th Jan,2022," the Income Tax department tweeted.

12:50 PM

SC asks Maharashtra Police not to arrest BJP legislator Nitesh Rane

The Supreme Court has asked Maharashtra Police not to arrest BJP MLA Nitesh Rane for 10 days in attempt-to-murder case, PTI reported Thursday. The court refused to entertain pre-arrest bail plea of Nitesh, son of Union Minister Narayan Rane, and asked him to surrender to the police and seek regular bail.