Covid LIVE: Kerala clocks 7,540 new cases, 259 deaths in last 24 hrs

Live news updates: The world is on track for disastrous levels of global heating despite carbon-cutting pledges from governments at the UN COP26 summit, say analysts.

1:35 AM

Covid-19 confirmed in pet dog in UK

COVID-19 has been detected in a pet dog in the United Kingdom, confirmed UK's Chief Veterinary Officer in a statement on Wednesday.

 

According to him, the infection was confirmed following tests at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) laboratory in Weybridge on November 3. The dog is now recovering at home.

 

All available evidence suggests that the dog contracted the coronavirus from its owners who had previously tested positive for coronavirus. There is no evidence to suggest that the animal was involved in the transmission of the disease to its owners or that pets or other domestic animals are able to transmit the virus to people, according to the statement.

12:26 AM

Belgium plans COVID-19 booster shot for all

Belgian authorities said on Wednesday they approved plans to have a COVID-19 booster shot for all who would want one.

 

Health ministers from the nation's different regions said that on top of the booster shots for health professionals and the over-65 age group which are already being administered, it will start preparing a booster vaccination campaign for those younger.

 

It also approved a booster jab for those who have received the one-dose J&J vaccine.

 

Even though Belgium has one of the highest vaccination rates in Europe, it is currently struggling to contain a fourth spike of the pandemic.

11:30 PM

West Bengal logs 853 new COVID-19 cases, 15 fatalities

West Bengal's COVID-19 tally surged to 16,00,732 as the state reported 853 new infections on Wednesday, 65 more than the previous day, a health department bulletin said.

 

Of the 853 new cases, the city reported 227 cases and neighbouring North 24 Parganas district 153, it said.

 

Fifteen new fatalities pushed the COVID-19 death toll to 19,267. West Bengal had reported 788 COVID-19 cases and 12 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday. The state now has 7,945 active COVID-19 cases, while 15,73,520 people have recovered from the disease, including 809 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.

9:43 PM

Tamil Nadu logs 828 new Covid cases; nine deaths; vaccinations cross six crore

Tamil Nadu logged 828 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the caseload to 27,11,584, while the toll rose to 36,247 with nine more deaths. Recoveries outnumbered the new infections with 931 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 26,65,178, leaving 10,159 active infections, a health department bulletin said.

 

A total of 1,01,143 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 5,22,36,972.

 

Chennai added 127 new cases while Coimbatore, which has been reporting below 100 cases a day over the last few days, registered 101 new infections in the district today.

9:32 PM

Mumbai's tally of administered COVID-19 vaccine doses crosses 1.5 crore: BMC

The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far in the financial capital crossed 1.5 crore on Wednesday, the city civic body said.

 

A total of 1,50,67,883 doses, including the first and the second doses, have been administered so far in Mumbai till 6.30 pm on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release.

 

The milestone of administering 50 lakh jabs in Mumbai was achieved on June 26 and the feat of administering one core jabs was achieved on September 4, 2021, it said.

 

However, about 92,36,500 eligible citizens are yet to be vaccinated (with both doses) in the jurisdiction of the BMC. Of them, 92,04,950 citizens or 99 per cent have taken the first jab.

8:56 PM

Mumbai records 347 Covid-19 cases, three deaths

Mumbai on Wednesday reported 347 new coronavirus infections and three fatalities, PTI reported.

 

It took the caseload in the financial capital of the country to 7,58,536 and death toll to 16,285, a civic official said.

 

After a gap of three days, the city logged more than 300 new COVID-19 cases. It had reported 279 COVID-19 cases and one death on Tuesday.

8:35 PM

US joins India-led International Solar Alliance as member country

The United States on Wednesday became the 101st member country of the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry signed the ISA framework agreement to catalyse global energy transition through a solar-led approach, PTI reported.

 

Kerry described the US membership as a major step towards the rapid deployment of solar power, as he formally signed the framework agreement at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

 

It has long been coming, and we are happy to join the International Solar Alliance, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the lead in making, said Kerry.

8:12 PM

Covid-19: 328 new cases, 9 deaths in Karnataka

Karnataka reported 328 fresh COVID-19 cases and nine deaths on Wednesday, taking the total number of infections to 29,90,856 and the toll to 38,131, PTI reported.

 

The day also saw 247 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,44,669, a health department bulletin said.

 

Bengaluru Urban continued to top in the number of cases (176), as the city saw 102 discharges and five deaths.

7:52 PM

Chinese PLA in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, surveys villages and military posts

Chinese People Liberation Army personnel are carrying out a survey of the border posts and villages in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to strengthen the Pakistan military apparatus across Line of Control, said sources, adding Indian security forces are keeping an eye on the activities and motives behind the survey, IANS reported.

 

Source said that around four dozen Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers arrived in general area Kel, Jura and Leepa sectors of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir a month ago.

 

Indian armed forces say that these areas -- Kel, Jura and Leepa -- are among those from where Pakistan pushes terrorists into Indian territory.

7:35 PM

Harsimrat seeks Modi's intervention in reopening Kartarpur Corridor

Calling for reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in Pakistan, former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene to "open the proposal for a land swap between India and Pakistan for merger of the holy shrine at Kartarpur Sahib with India in exchange for a suitable chunk of land elsewhere on the lines of the Hussainiwala village exchange, IANS reported.

 

She urged the Prime Minister to take the diplomatic initiative for the creation of a "Permanent Peace Corridor" to link all multi-faith sacred shrines left in Pakistan with the Indo-Pak border.

 

7:25 PM

Karnataka to fast-track languishing railway projects

Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister V Somanna on Wednesday said that the state will fast-track railway projects that are languishing since 2007, in a time-bound manner, PTI reported.

 

He said, the cost of most of these projects have almost doubled

 

"Since 2007, nine railway projects that were launched have not been completed.....after discussion, as the cost has also gone up, putting a burden on both state and central government, we have decided to fast-track these projects. Within 15-20 days, land acquisition and other hurdles will be cleared in a time bound manner," Somanna said.

7:24 PM

West Bengal minister Subarta Saha attacked by mob in Murshidabad district

7:01 PM

Kerala clocks 7,540 new cases, 259 deaths in last 24 hrs

Kerala recorded 7,540 fresh coronavirus infections and 259 deaths on Wednesday, raising the caseload to 50,34,858 and the fatalities to 34,621 With 7,841 more people recovering from the virus since Tuesday, the total recoveries touched 49,22,834 and the active cases reached 70,459, an official press release said.

 

Of the 259 deaths, 48 were reported over the last few days and 211 were designated as COVID deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and Supreme Court directions, it said.
 

As many as 76,380 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

6:29 PM

Delhi riots: Court frames rioting, arson charges against 4 men for burning shop

A Delhi court has framed charges of rioting and arson against four people for allegedly burning a car accessories shop during the riots last year, saying their contention that police witnesses are interested witnesses is without a legal basis, PTI reported.

 

Suraj, Yogender Singh, Ajay, and Gaurav Panchal are accused of allegedly being part of an armed riotous mob that vandalised and burned a shop of complainant Javed Khan in Delhi's Shahdara area on the afternoon of February 25, 2020, as per the police.

 

The prosecution relied upon five witnesses who claimed that they saw 100-150 rioters armed with rods and sticks. They covered their faces and burnt the shop named Khan Accessories, witnesses had claimed.

6:29 PM

TN records 50% plus more rainfall, a chunk of reservoirs inching close to full level

Tamil Nadu has recorded 50 per cent plus rainfall above normal during the ongoing North East monsoon season from October 1 till date and 53 of the 90 key reservoirs crossed 76 per cent storage, authorities here said on Wednesday, PTI reported.

 

During this period, the rainfall recorded in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was 38 CM, which is 51 per cent above normal, 25 CM being the usual level.

 

As regards Chennai district, for the same period, the experienced downpour was 61 CM while the usual is 41 CM, which is 50 per cent above normal, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, S Balachandran told reporters here.

 

6:02 PM

China says 'open' for talks with Dalai Lama to discuss his future but not Tibet

China on Wednesday said it is "open" for talks with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to discuss his "future" but not any issues related to Tibet, PTI reported.

 

Reports from Tokyo said the Dalai Lama while speaking at an online press conference hosted by the Tokyo Foreign Correspondents Club on Wednesday said, "I prefer to remain here in India, peacefully," praising the country as a centre of religious harmony.

 

The 86-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said he has no particular plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and expressed his wish to visit the Himalayan homeland to meet old friends.

6:01 PM

NASA, SpaceX set to launch space station's next crew to orbit

5:21 PM

Why Modi govt is not forming JPC for Rafale probe: Baghel

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday questioned the Union government's silence over "corruption" in the Rafale fighter jet deal and asked why it has not formed a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the issue, PTI reported.

5:20 PM

Expect Centre to continue vaccination programme, supply of Covid-19 vaccines: HC

The Delhi High Court Wednesday said it expected the Centre to continue the National Vaccination Programme and supply of vaccines against COVID-19 as per its policy, PTI reported.

 

The Centre told a bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel, hearing a plea seeking supply of COVID-19 vaccines at reduced rates, that it was providing free of cost vaccines to all states and Union Territories.

 

Central government lawyer Anurag Ahluwalia said that pursuant to the National Vaccination Programme, all states and UTs were giving free COVID-19 vaccines to all the people above 18 years at government centres.

5:02 PM

TB patients got unhindered support despite pandemic constraints: MoS Health

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, India has managed to scale up access to free rapid molecular diagnostics and treatment for tuberculosis while financial and nutritional support to affected patients continued without any hindrance, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Tuesday, PTI reported.

 

Efforts made by the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) led to significant improvements in time-to-diagnosis, treatment adherence and outcomes, Pawar said as she chaired the brainstorming session on "Strategies for Ending TB by 2025", a Health Ministry statement said.

5:01 PM

Chandigarh: MLA from Bathinda Rural joins Congress

4:30 PM

Police disperse crowd thronging Yamuna Ghat for Chhath Puja

Police and administrative officials on Wednesday stopped scores of devotees thronging the ghats along the Yamuna river in Delhi for Chhath festivities, citing DDMA orders prohibiting celebrations along the river bank in view of COVID-19, PTI reported.

 

A crowd gathered at the Yamuna Ghat near Kalindi Kunj in the morning was dispersed by police and district officials, and people were re-directed towards designated spots to observe the rituals.

 

The city government has set up 800 makeshift ghats across Delhi for devotees to perform Chhath rituals.

4:28 PM

EU regulator evaluating Moderna shot for children ages 5-11

The European Union's drug regulator said Wednesday that it has started evaluating whether to authorise Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, a decision that could significantly open up COVID-19 vaccination across the continent for young children, AP reported.

 

The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency already is evaluating the vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech for use in the 5-11 age group. In a statement on Wednesday, the EMA said it anticipates making a recommendation about Moderna's vaccine in about two months, unless more data or analysis are needed.

 

4:02 PM

Non-bailable warrant issued against former Mumbai police commissioner

4:00 PM

Dalai Lama says China's leaders 'don't understand' diversity

Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama says China's leaders don't understand the variety of different cultures and that the ruling Communist Party's penchant for tight social control can be harmful, AP reported.

 

The 86-year-old Buddhist monk on Wednesday also said he wished to remain home in India, where he has lived since 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet, rather than get involved in the complicated politics" between China, run by the officially atheist Communist Party, and strongly Buddhist Taiwan.

 

Speaking at an online press conference hosted by the Tokyo Foreign Correspondents Club, the Dalai Lama said there were no particular plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and declined to comment on Xi's plans to remain in office for a third five-year term.

3:58 PM

Court allows actor Rhea Chakraborty's application to defreeze her bank account

3:30 PM

Cabinet gives nod to price support of Rs 17,408.8 cr to Cotton Corporation of India

3:27 PM

Union Cabinet approves mechanism for procurement of ethanol

3:15 PM

Cabinet approves restoration and continuation of MPLADS, says Thakur

3:02 PM

Hubble to begin science observations again

The Hubble team successfully recovered the Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument and it has started taking science observations once again, after facing a glitch, IANS reported.

 

On October 23, the joint mission of NASA and the European Space Agency, the science instruments on Hubble Space Telescope issued error codes unexpectedly, indicating the loss of a specific synchronisation message. As a result, the science instruments entered a safe mode configuration on October 25, while NASA continued investigating.

 

"The camera was selected as the first instrument to recover as it faces the fewest complications should a lost message occur," NASA said.