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Live news updates: Bharat Biotech's home-grown Covid-19 vaccine now many be used for Covid-19 inoculation in poor countries.

10:17 PM

Delhi records zero Covid fatality, 40 fresh cases in a day

The national capital recorded zero death due to COVID-19 and 40 fresh cases in a day with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent, according to data shared by the city's health department on Thursday.

 

Cumulative Covid cases stood at 14,40,003, of which 14.14 lakh patients have recovered from the disease. The death toll in Delhi due to coronavirus infection stood at 25,091.

 

Delhi has not reported any death due to COVID-19 so far this month. It reported four Covid deaths in October and five in September.

 

The case positivity rate was 0.08 per cent on Thursday. A total of 51,256 tests -- 41,040 RT-PCR ones and 10,216 rapid antigen tests -- were conducted a day ago, the bulletin said.

 

On Wednesday, 41 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent. The day before, 34 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.07 per cent.

9:31 PM

Maharashtra records 1,141 Covid-19 cases, 32 deaths

Maharashtra recorded 1,141 new coronavirus infections on Thursday and 32 deaths, the health department said. The coronavirus case tally in the state rose to 66,15,299, while the death toll reached 1,40,345, it added. On Wednesday, the state had reported 1,193 new cases and 39 fatalities.

 

A total of 1,613 patients were discharged from hospitals since Wednesday evening, taking the number of recoveries in Maharashtra to 64,56,263 and leaving the state with 15,062 active cases. Maharashtra's case recovery rate stands at 97.6 per cent, while the fatality rate is 2.12 per cent.

9:22 PM

OPEC+ keeps cautious oil production despite Biden pressure

OPEC and allied oil-producing countries rebuffed pressure from US President Joe Biden to pump significantly more oil and lower gasoline prices for US drivers, deciding Thursday to stick with their plan for cautious monthly increases even as prices surge and the global economy is thirsty for fuel.

 

The OPEC+ alliance, made up of OPEC members led by the Saudis and non-members led by Russia, approved an increase in production of 400,000 barrels per day for the month of December.

 

That is in line with the group's road map to add that amount of oil to the market every month into next year. The plan is to open the petroleum taps bit by bit until deep production cuts made during the coronavirus pandemic are restored - even as prices have surged to seven-year highs.

8:38 PM

'May the light of Diwali remind us...': Biden

8:25 PM

Happy Diwali to everyone, says Kamala Harris

8:03 PM

PM to visit Kedarnath tomorrow

7:16 PM

Biden administration announces details of 2 policies to fight Covid

6:15 PM

Kerala reports 7,545 new cases

5:25 PM

Odisha registers more Covid recoveries than new cases

4:17 PM

Britain approves Merck's oral Covid pill

Britain's medicines regulator said on Thursday it had approved a COVID-19 antiviral oral pill jointly developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, the first country to clear a potentially game-changing therapy for the illness.

4:10 PM

'Rising pace of Covid transmission in Europe of grave concern'

The current rate of COVID-19 transmission in Europe is of "grave concern", the World Health Organization's Europe head, Hans Kluge, told a media briefing on Thursday.

 

"The current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of the European Region, is of grave concern," Kluge said, adding that new cases were nearing record levels, exacerbated by the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus.

3:20 PM

Arunachal CM announces reduction of VAT on petrol and diesel

3:03 PM

Delhi's overall air quality in 'very poor' category

2:56 PM

India's daily positivity rate at 1.21%

The daily Covid positivity rate of India was recorded at 1.21 per cent on Thursday. It has been less than two per cent for 31 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.17 per cent. This figure has been below two per cent for 41 days, according to the Union Health Ministry.

2:06 PM

PM Modi speaks on surgical strike at J-K's Nowshera sector

1:55 PM

Bihar CM announces reduction of VAT on fuel prices

1:40 PM

India records 12,885 new Covid cases, 461 deaths in a day

India saw a single-day rise of 12,885 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's infection tally to 3,43,21,025, while the count of active cases has declined to 148,579, the lowest in 253 days, according to Union Health Ministry data on Thursday.

 

The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 459,652, with 461 more fatalities being recorded, the data updated at 8 am showed.

 

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 27 straight days, and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 130 consecutive days now.

1:07 PM

Diwali 2021: PM Modi distributes sweets among army soldiers and interacts with them at Nowshera

1:01 PM

The role played by this brigade during the surgical strike fills everyone with pride: PM Modi

The role played by this brigade during the surgical strike fills everyone with pride. I will remember that day forever as it was decided that all soldiers should return before sunset... I was sitting beside phone & was asking about whereabouts of every soldier...: PM Modi

12:48 PM

Watch video: PM Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers

12:41 PM

I have spent each Diwali with soldiers guarding our borders, says PM Modi

I have spent each Diwali with soldiers guarding our borders. Today, I have brought along with me the blessings of crores of Indians for our soldiers here.

12:39 PM

Our soldiers are like 'suraksha kawach, says PM Modi

Our soldiers are the 'suraksha kawach' of 'Maa Bharti'. It is because of you all that people of our country can sleep peacefully and there is happiness during festivals: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Nowshera

12:30 PM

Connectivity in border areas has improved: PM Modi at Nowshera, J&K

Connectivity in border areas has improved- be it from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, Jaisalmer to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This has helped us enhance our deployment capability: PM Modi at Nowshera, J&K

 

11:31 AM

Pakistan eases Covid-19 curbs on air travel, allows inbound air traffic at full capacity

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said inbound air traffic will now operate at full quantum with effect from Nov 10, 2021, Dawn reported.

The forum further stated that five countries had been placed in category C on the basis of high positivity, high daily Covid-19 cases/deaths and low vaccination rate. These countries are Armenia, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Iraq and Mexico.
 

On the other hand, Mongolia, Slovenia, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Ukraine have been included in high-risk countries.

10:32 AM

Coronavirus in India: Latest update by MoHFW

India reports 12,885 new Covid-19 cases, 15,054 recoveries and 461 deaths in the last 24 hours.

 

10:12 AM

Haryana government reduces VAT on petrol and diesel in the state

10:06 AM

Travellers fully vaccinated with Covaxin can enter US from Nov 8

Travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with Covaxin have been given the green light to enter the US from November 8.

 

Talking to ANI over updating the approved travel list for Covaxin, CDC press officer, Scott Pauley said, "CDC's travel guidance applies to FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines and encompasses any new vaccines that may be added to either of those lists over time."

 

The last-minute addition comes less than one week before the US launches its new travel system, which grants entry to foreign travellers who have received a vaccine that has been approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or WHO. Read on...

10:04 AM

Army Chief General Naravane extends greetings to people on Diwali

Indian Army chief General MM Naravane on Thursday extended his greetings to people on the occasion of Diwali.

 

Taking to Twitter, Additional Directorate General of Public Information- Indian Army said, "General MM Naravane COAS and All Ranks of IndianArmy extend greetings on the occasion of Diwali. On this day, let us remember the valour and sacrifice of our Bravehearts."

 

This year Diwali is being celebrated on Thursday, that is, November 4. People celebrate the festival by decorating their houses, exchanging gifts, and offering prayers in order to commemorate the "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance."

10:01 AM

Samvat 2078: More bang than whimper for rupee, bond this new year

It was a Samvat like no other for the Indian bond market. Be that as it may, Samvat 2078 could be even more interesting for the rupee, say experts.

 

The 10-year bond yield was at 5.88 per cent at the beginning of Samvat 2077 - a result of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI's) extraordinary liquidity measures and active intervention to keep yields below 6 per cent to make it easy for the government and the corporate entities to borrow. The 10-year yields closed at 6.34 per cent on Wednesday - a rise of 48 basis points.

 

By the end of Samvat, although the RBI had relaxed its tight grip on the market, it had stopped additional liquidity infusion. It is expected to make liquidity draining operations more durable, mainly through simultaneous secondary market bond sales sometime later in the year. Read on...

9:58 AM

UP CM thanks PM Modi for excise duty cut on petrol, diesel; calls it 'Diwali gift'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing excise duty on petrol and diesel and termed it as a gift on the occasion of Diwali.

 

"We are thankful to the Prime Minister that excise duty on diesel and petrol has been reduced. When inflation comes into people's lives, diesel and petrol contribute to it. This is a great relief. This is the gift of the Prime Minister on the occasion of Diwali," Adityanath told reporters today.

 

The Chief Minister today offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya. He also offered prayers to 'Ram Lalla' at Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya.

 

On the occasion of Diwali, the CM extended his greetings to the people and said, "I express my best wishes to the people of the state for a very happy Diwali."