Covid LIVE: Pfizer vaccine shows 90.7% efficacy in trial in children

Live news updates: Supreme Court says farmers can't block roads while protesting; Bombay High Court nudges Zee Entertainment to hold shareholder meeting.

10:47 PM

Uttarakhand CM to contribute his October salary towards Chief Minister's Relief Fund

10:21 PM

I extend my heartfelt condolences for victims and their bereaved families: Japan PM over India floods

9:01 PM

UK Foreign Secy Elizabeth Truss meets EAM S Jaishankar today

8:52 PM

Tamil Nadu reports 1152 new Covid-19 cases

8:31 PM

West Bengal reports 846 new Covid-19 cases

7:57 PM

UP govt releases Rs 77 cr from state disaster fund for farmers compensation

7:45 PM

Covid vaccination programme success can boost economic growth: India Inc

India Inc on Friday said the country's "hugely successful" COVID-19 vaccination programme under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership can boost economic growth and help realise the vision of a New India.

Hailing crossing of the 100-crore vaccine doses milestone, Modi on Friday said India's vaccination programme was science-born, science-driven and science-based.

In an address to the nation, the prime minister also urged people to keep following COVID protocol during the festival season and not drop their guard.

7:28 PM

Poland recognises Covishield as a vaccine equivalent to those recognized by EU

7:10 PM

Kerala reports 9,361 new Covid-19 cases

Kerala logged 9,361 new COVID-19 cases and 99 deaths on Friday, pushing the infection count to 48,88,678 and the death toll to 27,765.

According to a release, 9,401 people recuperated from the disease today, taking the total cured in the state to 47,88,629.

"Currently there are 80,892 active COVID-19 cases of which only 9.8 per cent are hospitalised," State Health Minister Veena George said in a release.

6:59 PM

DRDO successfully tests high-speed expendable aerial target Abhyas off Odisha coast

India on Friday successfully flight-tested the endogenously developed high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT), ABHYAS, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha's Chandipur, off the coast of Bay of Bengal, DRDO sources said, according to PTI.

 

The vehicle can be used as an aerial target for evaluating various missile systems.

 

The performance of the target aircraft was monitored through telemetry and various sensors, including radars and electro optical tracking system (EOTS), the sources said.

6:27 PM

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Union minister's son remanded in police custody again

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, arrested for his alleged role in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, was on Friday remanded in police custody for two days, PTI reported.

 

It was for the second time that he was remanded in police custody by Lakhimpur Kheri's Chief Judicial Magistrate Chinta Ram.

 

Besides, Mishra, CJM Ram also sent three other accused in the case -- Ankit Das, Shekhar Bharti and Latif to police custody, acceding the prosecution's request for their police remand.

5:51 PM

Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh likely to bid for new IPL team: Report

The 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to have 10 teams competing for the coveted trophy and Bollywood's superstar couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are likely to join the bidding war for the two new teams along with other big players, IANS reported.

 

The IPL governing body has invited bids to acquire the rights of two new teams for the upcoming season. With the announcement date drawing closer every day, many big names of the world have shown interest in bidding for teams.

 

According to reports, Bollywood superstar couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh could be in the running to own a team, which suggests that the race to own the teams is now bigger than ever.

5:28 PM

Vaccine had 90.7% efficacy in trial of 5-11 year olds, says Pfizer

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of five to 11 year olds, the U.S. drugmaker said on Friday.
 

Sixteen children in the trial who had received a placebo got COVID-19, compared with 3 who were vaccinated, Pfizer said in briefing documents submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
 

Because more than twice as many children in the 2,268-participant trial were given the vaccine than placebo, that equates to better than 90% efficacy.
 

Outside advisors to the FDA are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to vote on whether to recommend that the agency approve the vaccine for that age group.

5:22 PM

Some broadcasters exploiting a-la-carte pricing of TV channels, will keep strict watch: TRAI

Telecom regulator TRAI Friday said some broadcasters are exploiting" the freedom available for a-la-carte pricing of TV channels and warned them it will keep a "strict watch" on them and not shy away from taking action in the "larger interest" of consumers and the sector, PTI reported.

 

With an increase in TV channel subscription rates "impending", the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement that the new tariff recently announced by "these leading broadcasters" reflects their intention to raise the prices of driver and popular channels.

 

Driver channels include general entertainment channels (GEC) and sports channels.

5:22 PM

CDC Group invests $70 mn in first dedicated climate finance fund

The CDC Group, Britain's official development finance institution and impact investor, has invested USD 70 million into the Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF), the country's first dedicated climate change fund, PTI reported.

 

The fund is managed by EverSource Capital, a joint venture between the private equity fund Everstone Group and Lightsource BP, British Petroleum's renewable energy platform.

 

The GGEF already has strong climate credentials and within its portfolio has many investments such as Radiance, a renewable energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers; the e-mobility platform Greencell Mobility; the utility-scale renewable energy platform Ayana; integrated waste management platform EverEnviro; and wastewater management platform Kathari, the CDC Group said in a statement on Friday.

5:00 PM

West Bengal's power to withhold consent to CBI investigation not absolute: Centre to SC

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that West Bengal's power to withhold consent to the CBI is not absolute and the probe agency is entitled to carry out investigations that are being carried out against Central government employees or have a pan-India impact, PTI reported.

 

The Centre submitted an affidavit in response to a lawsuit by the West Bengal government which alleged that the CBI is going ahead with the investigation in post-poll violence cases without securing the pre-requisite nod from the state under the law.

 

It told the apex court that the Union of India has not registered any case in West Bengal, nor has it been investigating any case.

4:57 PM

Covid: J&K sets fresh guidelines to regulate pilgrims at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine

4:03 PM

CISF apologises to differently abled actor for her airport ordeal

4:00 PM

Population of New Zealand's largest city falls for first time

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Zealand's population growth slowed down with the largest city of Auckland recording a decline for the first time ever, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Friday, IANS reported.

 

New Zealand saw slowing population growth in all regions, population estimates and projections manager Hamish Slack said in a statement.

 

Covid-19 international travel restrictions continued to curb population increases from international migration in the June 2021 year, Slack said.

3:58 PM

India, Australia working side by side to expand vaccine access across Indo-Pacific: PM Morrison

India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad grouping to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday as he wished his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and his government after India achieved the milestone of administering 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses, PTI reported.

 

India scripted history on Thursday with the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country surpassing the 100-crore milestone.

 

"Congratulations to my friend @narendramodi and his government for administering 1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A huge achievement. India and Australia are working side by side in the Quad to expand vaccine access across the Indo-Pacific," Morrison tweeted.

3:31 PM

NATO countries bear primary responsibility for Afghan situation: Putin

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) bears primary responsibility for the current situation in Afghanistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, according to IANS.

 

"While the participation of both China and Russia and other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries is important, those countries that were fighting there (in Afghanistan) for 20 years bear primary responsibility for what is happening there," Xinhua news agency quoted Putin as saying at the plenary session of the 18th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday.

 

The President said Moscow and Beijing will continue to work together with the aim of promoting dialogue with relevant structures in Afghanistan and ensuring the safety of both countries' citizens.

3:26 PM

US urges all WTO members to support intellectual property waiver for Covid vaccines

The White House on Thursday called on all World Trade Organization members to support an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines, Reuters reported.

2:58 PM

Covid pandemic showed how technology can be game-changer: AIIMS director

The COVID-19 pandemic has showed the importance of technology and how if used properly can be a game-changer in the country where there is a big issue of resources and manpower crunch as far as the health sector is concerned, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Friday, PTI reported.

 

Speaking at Public Affairs Forum of India's 8th National Forum 2021, he said the pandemic showed that if you do not have a healthy nation, you will have a fate on your economy, it could affect tourism, it will affect travel, and it will have a lot of other effects which are so-called collateral damage.

2:58 PM

Actor Ananya Panday appears before NCB for second day

Bollywood actor Ananya Panday appeared before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) here on Friday to record statement in connection with her alleged WhatsApp chats with Aryan Khan, son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, arrested in a drugs case, sources said on Friday, PTI reported.

 

This is for the second day in a row that Ananya appeared before the central agency.

 

Her actor-father Chunky Panday accompanied her to the NCB office as he had done on Thursday.

2:29 PM

China vows no concessions on Taiwan after Biden comments

China on Friday said there is no room for compromise or concessions over the issue of Taiwan, following a comment by US President Joe Biden that the US is committed to defending the island if it is attacked, AP reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reasserted China's longstanding claim that the island is its territory at a daily briefing after Biden made his comment a day before at a forum hosted by CNN.

China has recently upped its threat to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary by flying warplanes near the island and rehearsing beach landings.

2:26 PM

Official announcement of Haj 2022 will be made in the first week of November

2:03 PM

Govt made public participation 1st line of defence in fight against pandemic: PM

After India achieved breached the 100 crore COVID-19 vaccination mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Central government made public participation the first line of defence in India's fight against the pandemic, ANI reported.

 

Addressing the nation, the Prime Minister said India's COVID vaccination campaign is 'everybody's effort' and "if everyone's efforts are synergised, the results are amazing."

 

"Our first line of defence against pandemic was public participation, as part of which people lit diyas, banged thalis. Some people had questioned saying 'Will it help us get rid of the disease'...? Many people mocked when Indians banged thalis and lit diyas last year. However, it was India's unity that was on display during those events," he said.

1:43 PM

Mumbai fire: 30-year-old jumps to death from 19th floor of building

1:37 PM

Mumbai news: Fire at Avighna Park apartment building on Curry Road

1:16 PM

We waived off farm loan while SP withdrew cases against terrorists who attacked Ram Janmabhoomi: UP CM