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		A healthcare worker receives a dose of the Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine at a hospital in La Plata, Argentina | Photo: Bloomberg</div></div>

Coronavirus live updates: The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,130,000), Kerala (1,049,000), Karnataka (949,636), Andhra Pradesh (889,409), and Tamil Nadu (849,166)

Coronavirus vaccine

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	<strong>Coronavirus live updates:</strong> India&#39;s count of active cases has jumped to 155,986. On Thursday, the country registered 16,577 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking its the caseload tally to 11,063,491. India continues to be second-most-affected globally, and ranks 14th among worst-hit nations by active cases.<br />
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	The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered to healthcare and frontline workers in the country has crossed 13.7 million, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.</div>
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	The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,130,000), Kerala (1,049,000), Karnataka (949,636), Andhra Pradesh (889,409), and Tamil Nadu (849,166).</div>
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	<strong>World coronavirus update</strong>: Coronavirus cases rise unabated across the globe with 113,532,962 infected by the deadly contagion. While 89,120,692 have recovered, 2,518,322 have died so far. The US remains the worst-hit country with 29,052,232, followed by India, Brazil, Russia and the United Kingdom. However, it terms of the total number of active cases, US tops the charts, followed by France, UK, Brazil and Belgium.</div>
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Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13.7 million vaccine doses administered so far

Business Standard

The final decision for the fundraising is likely to be taken in the upcoming board meeting on October 5

The fundraising plan is expected to be part of the company's Rs 7,000-crore capex plan in the next phase of growth, during which it aims to add an additional 12 million tonnes of capacity

Rama Rao also blamed PM Modi for doing favours to Gautam Adani by way of privatising government companies


Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had filed a criminal defamation lawsuit against the chief minister for allegedly claiming Shakawat was involved in the Sanjeevani scam


Social media platform Humans of Bombay filed a lawsuit against People of India for copying its content, logo, tagline, and the format it uses for stories

According to a report, Karnataka levies an 83 per cent tax on the actual price of liquor, which makes it costly compared to the other states

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma speaks during a press conference organised to commemorate the completion of 8 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP-led government at the centre, at BJP state office in Guwahati, Wednesday, Jun

Himanta Biswa Sarma

The proposal to ease foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in the space sector is "under inter-ministerial discussion," the official added


Nearly a month ago government sources told Reuters that India is expected to ban mills from exporting sugar in the next season beginning October, halting shipments for the first time in seven years

Russia-Ukraine War

The year 2022 is coming to an end and a lot has happened that shaped the world in the year. Let's have a look at some of these significant events

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine&amp;#39;s capital, Kyiv, from the north in an attempt to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky&amp;#39;s government. In the months following, artillery bombardment and street fighting continued, with Russia seizing multiple cities.

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After a slew of scandals in his term spanning three years, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from office in July. Johnson was succeeded by Liz Truss, who took over the office in September.
						
						But after 45 days in the office, she resigned, becoming the shortest-serving PM in UK history. Her budgetary plans, at the centre of which were tax cut plans, had crashed the markets, making her lose the confidence of almost all her own MPs.
						
						In the days that followed, Rishi Sunak took over as Britain&amp;#39;s 57th prime minister and vowed to fix the mistakes made by his predecessor, Liz Truss.

Russia Invades Ukraine

In April, protests began in the nation following a sharp rise in food and fuel costs. Thousands demanded the resignation of now-ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The people faced long power cuts daily and shortages of basics, including fuel and food. Sri Lanka&amp;#39;s doctors said they were nearly out of life-saving medicines.
						
						Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s government was being blamed for the chronic mismanagement of the country&amp;#39;s finances. In July, protestors stormed Rajapaksa&amp;#39;s home, pushing him to flee the nation before resigning from office.

UK&amp;#39;s political crisis

In September, 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran&amp;#39;s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Authorities said she died of illness, but her family claimed she fell into a coma after being mistreated by the police. Sources said the police beat Amini with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle. At her funeral on September 17 in Saqez, women protested by ripping off their hijabs. Protests sparked by her demise have since roped in ethnic minorities and even school children. Thousands of women since then have been showing solidarity by cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in public.
						
						Now, the unrest has spread beyond a women&amp;#39;s right to a movement that is calling for an end to theocratic rule. The protests are now the most broadly supported movement in Iran in over four decades.

Sri Lanka economic crisis

In October, Chinese President Xi Jinping was handed a historic third term in office. He became the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get a third term in power.
						
						This came as China&amp;#39;s economy was running out of steam after decades of high growth. Many expect Xi&amp;#39;s third term may see China revert to more old-school economic management, focusing on shoring up the heavy industry and continuing a crackdown on big tech.

Uprising mounts again in Iran

In a historic first, rich countries agreed to pay for losses and damages caused by climate change. For 30 years, developing nations have been calling for developed countries to compensate for the costs of climate disasters caused by climate change. And rich nations that caused the pollution resisted the demand. But this changed in 2022.

Chinese President Xi Jinping starts record third term in power

In 2022, inflation was rising worldwide, with food and energy prices hitting record highs. The hike was mainly driven by pent-up consumer demand after the pandemic and Russia&amp;#39;s invasion of Ukraine. As the pandemic waned, people wanted to return to normalcy and spend more. This led to companies demanding higher prices. Companies also hired more to serve the pent-up demand. They had to increase wages to attract workers and raise prices to compensate for that.

A landmark deal UN Climate Change Conference (COP27)

In September, Queen Elizabeth II, Britain&amp;#39;s longest-serving monarch, died at 96 after reigning for 70 years. Many said her death would mark a turning point for commonwealth nations as many may disassociate themselves.

The global economy at crossroads

In October, Brazil&amp;#39;s former president, Luiz In&amp;aacute;cio Lula da Silva beat Jair Bolsonaro in the country&amp;#39;s closest presidential race in history. Silva&amp;#39;s win marked Latin America&amp;#39;s shift to the left and pointed to an extraordinary comeback for a man in jail for corruption three years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II dies

In October, billionaire Elon Musk closed his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter after months of dilly-dallying, drama and a lawsuit. The Tesla owner&amp;#39;s Twitter takeover is also one of the biggest tech acquisitions of all time. May fear that Musk&amp;#39;s takeover may turn the social media giant into a hotbed of hate speech.
					
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Brazil elections

Google Messages

In January, Google rolled out end-to-end encryption in group chats for messages app users enrolled in the beta programme

Blend launches Blend Studio: AI tool for ecommerce photography

New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI/PNN): Blend, an AI-powered design and photography application for DTC brands and ecommerce sellers, recently launched Blend Studio - the Chat GPT for product photos.

Celebrity and Travel Photographer Rahul Lokare from Flamingo Productions creates waves of change in the world of photography.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Priced at Rs 79,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage, the Xiaomi 13 Pro offers a novel imaging experience on top of a premium package

Odisha makes 7-day quarantine mandatory for travellers from 12 states

Odisha Govt makes 7-day home isolation mandatory for travellers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to the State, in view of current Covid situation in these States, according to <em>ANI</em>

Over 13K get Covid jabs; fall in number of beneficiaries on Friday in Delhi

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	Over 13,000 beneficiaries received anti-Covid-19 vaccine on Friday, a significant fall from the number of people who had got the shots a day before, according to data shared by officials.</div>
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	Over 3.6 lakh beneficiaries have received the vaccine till date in Delhi since the start of the inoculation drive a month ago, with more than 18,900 people receiving jabs on Thursday. Out of the total tally, more than 1.46 lakh are healthcare workers and over 2.2 lakh are frontline workers, as per the data. <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/over-13k-get-covid-jabs-fall-in-number-of-beneficiaries-on-friday-in-delhi-121022601243_1.html?1614355622" target="_blank">Read more</a></div>

Haryana records 148 fresh Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

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	Haryana recorded 148 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the infection tally in the state to 2,70,411, a health department bulletin said.</div>
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	With one more fatality from Karnal district, the death toll due to COVID-19 in the state rose to 3,044, it said.</div>
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	Of the 148 fresh cases, Gurgaon reported 29 and Karnal 30. At present, there are 1,103 active cases in the state, while as many as 2,66,264 have recovered from the infection. The recovery rate is 98.47 per cent in Haryana, the bulletin added.</div>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
	<p dir="ltr" lang="en">
		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaFightsCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaFightsCorona</a>:<br />
		<br />
		To Summarize:<br />
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		A total of 1,37,56,940 doses administered till 6 PM, 26th February, 2021 as per the provisional reports.<br />
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		No case of serious/severe AEFI/Death attributable to vaccination till date.<br />
		<br />
		: JS <a href="https://twitter.com/MoHFW_INDIA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoHFW_INDIA</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/We4Vaccine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#We4Vaccine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LargestVaccinationDrive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LargestVaccinationDrive</a> <a href="https://t.co/7BIU9bYNOT">pic.twitter.com/7BIU9bYNOT</a></p>
	&mdash; #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) <a href="https://twitter.com/COVIDNewsByMIB/status/1365302140609073152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

571 new coronavirus cases in Karnataka, four deaths

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	Karnataka logged 571 new COVID-19 cases and four related fatalities, taking the caseload to just over 9.50 lakh and the toll to 12,320, the Health department said on Friday. The day also saw 642 patients getting discharged after recovery. Bengaluru Urban accounted for most number of fresh cases at 368.</div>
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	Cumulatively 9,50,207 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 12,320 deaths and 9,32,367 discharges, the Health department said in its bulletin.</div>
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	Out of 5,501 active cases, 5,380 patients are stable and in isolation at designated hospitals, while 121 are in Intensive Care Units.</div>

No new event of post-vaccination hospitalisation reported in past 24 hours: Health Ministry

Five States with the highest vaccinations today - Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra. No new event of hospitalisation reported in the past 24 hours: Health Ministry

Rise in Covid cases in Delhi; experts warn against non-adherence to norms

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	Just as the Delhi government had asserted that the coronavirus pandemic had been &quot;defeated&quot; in the national capital, cases are on the rise again dramatically, as doctors on Friday warned that the numbers could go up in the coming months and urged people to continue to wear masks and follow COVID-19 safety norms.</div>
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		Many doctors at leading healthcare facilities here cautioned that the rise was &quot;alarming&quot; with an &quot;upsurge&quot; in the number of patients going there in the last couple of days, after the cases had shown a downward spiral for nearly six weeks. <strong><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/rise-in-covid-cases-in-delhi-experts-warn-against-non-adherence-to-norms-121022601079_1.html" target="_blank">READ ON...</a></strong><br />
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Seniors, 45+ with co-morbidities now can pick Covid vaccination site: Govt

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	As India gears up to vaccinate peopleabove 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.</div>
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	The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc whichwill list the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with the date and time of the available schedules. <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/senior-citizens-those-with-co-morbidities-above-45yrs-can-now-register-on-site-get-covid-vaccine-121022600811_1.html" target="_blank"><strong>READ ON...</strong></a></div>

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	The COVID-19 tally in the union territory of Puducherry rose to 39,697 on Monday with the addition of 20 new cases, the Health Department said. No fatalities were reported and the toll remained at 667.</div>
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	A total of 1,648 samples were tested in the last 24 hours ending 10 AM, taking the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 6.25 lakh, Health and Family Welfare Services Director S Mohan Kumar said in a release.</div>

Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million doses of COVAXIN vaccine

MHA says existing Covid-19 guidelines to continue till March 31

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	The home ministry Friday said the existing COVID-19 guidelines will remain in force till March 31. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said while there has been a substantial decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution so as to fully overcome the pandemic.</div>
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	The states and union territories have also been advised to speed up the vaccination of the target population so as to break the chain of transmission and overcome the pandemic.</div>
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	Accordingly, containment zones continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced; and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously, the home ministry said.</div>

Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine reduces transmission after one dose - UK study

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	A single dose of Pfizer and BioNtech&#39;s COVID-19 vaccine cuts the number of asymptomatic infections and could significantly reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, results of a UK study found on Friday.</div>
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	Researchers analysed results from thousands of COVID-19 tests carried out each week as part of hospital screenings of healthcare staff in Cambridge, eastern England.</div>
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	&quot;Our findings show a dramatic reduction in the rate of positive screening tests among asymptomatic healthcare workers after a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine,&quot; said Nick Jones, an infectious diseases specialist at Cambridge University Hospital, who co-led the study.</div>

Senior citizens, those with co-morbidities above 45 years can now register on-site and get Covid-19 vaccine

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	As India gears up to vaccinate peopleabove 60 years of age and those over 45 years with comorbidities against COVID-19 from March 1, the Union Health Ministry on Friday said the facility of on-site registrations will be available so that eligible beneficiaries can walk into identified vaccination centres, get themselves registered and get inoculated.</div>
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	The beneficiaries will be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Arogya Setu etc whichwill list the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with the date and time of the available schedules.</div>
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	The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/her choice and book an appointment for immunization, the ministry said. Vaccination will be free of charge at the government vaccination centres. Those taking the COVID vaccine at any designated/empanelled private health facility will have to pay a pre-fixed charge, it said.</div>

Neuberg Diagnostics claims first pvt lab to give vaccine shots in India

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	Neuberg Diagnostics has claimed that it has received the Government&#39;s approval for administering Covid-19 vaccine to its staff, and is currently waiting for approval to administer vaccines to identified priority groups in Tamil Nadu. These groups include those above the age of 60 years and those above 45 years with co-morbidities. The vaccines will be administered at Neuberg Ehrlich Laboratory in Chennai. The company claims the diagnostics chain becomes first private lab to administer vaccines</div>
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	Ahead of the vaccination, Neuberg has technically trained its staff who can proficiently inoculate the population with utmost compliance. As per the official guidelines, the lab has created the dedicated sections for registration &amp;verification, vaccination and observation, said the company. <strong><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/neuberg-diagnostics-claims-first-pvt-lab-to-give-vaccine-shots-in-india-121022600723_1.html" target="_blank">READ MORE...</a></strong><br />
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	<img alt="vaccine, vaccination, coronavirus, covid" src="https://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/img/article/2021-02/23/full/1614024619-7149.jpg" /></div>

Coronavirus LIVE updates: Testing triples in Nagpur amid rise in cases

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	Maharashtra minister Nitin Raut on Friday said coronavirus testing in Nagpur has tripled to over 10,000 tests per day, amid rise in infections.</div>
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	Addressing the media after a review meeting with district officials, Raut said there are 1,769 oxygen beds, 684 ICU and 263 ventilator beds available for COVID-19 patients in the district.</div>
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	Although the cases of coronavirus are increasing in Maharashtra, the administration has been able to control the situation in Nagpur, the district&#39;s guardian minister said.</div>

Covid LIVE: Centre explains basic features of Co-WIN 2.0 to states/UTs

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	Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary along with Dr R S Sharma, Chairman of Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration (Co-WIN) and member, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration of Covid-19 (NEGVAC) chaired a high-level meeting today with Health Secretaries and MDs (NHM) of States and UTs on the vaccination of age-appropriate groups through a video conference (VC), according to a press release.&nbsp;</div>
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	The States and UTs were explained the basic features of version 2.0 of the digital platform CO-Win, which is a population-scale software with capacity of processing several thousands of entries. The new phase of vaccination of age-appropriate groups will expand the Covid-19 vaccination in the country manifold. With a citizen &ndash;centric approach, the fundamental shift in this phase is that citizens in the identified age groups, as also those healthcare workers and frontline who have been missed out or left out of the present phase of vaccination, can select vaccination centres of their choice. Secondly, the private sector hospitals will be involved as Covid-19 Vaccination centres to harness their potential to expand the vaccination capacities.</div>
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No Covid-19 vaccination will take place on Saturday and Sunday: Govt

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	No vaccination will take place on Saturday and Sunday as the Centre will enable transition of CoWIN app from version 1.0 to 2.0 ahead of the commencement of vaccination from March 1 for people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with comorbidities, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.</div>
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	&quot;On this Saturday and Sunday (27th and 28th Feb), the Co-Win digital platform will be transitioning from Co-Win1.0 to Co-Win 2.0. In view of this, COVID 19 Vaccination sessions will not be scheduled during these two days. The States and UTs have been already informed about this transition,&quot; the ministry added.</div>
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	As per the officials, the inoculation drive will be driven by CoWIN 2.0 which the government&#39;s plans to launch the next by Sunday. The eligible population of those over 60 years and those over 45 years with comorbidities will be able to self-register on the app.</div>

Russia records 11,086 Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

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	Russia&#39;s single-day increase in coronavirus cases fell to the lowest level since October 5 with 11,086 new cases confirmed (down from 11,198 the day before), the coronavirus response center said on Friday.</div>
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	On October 5, Russia confirmed 10,888 coronavirus cases.</div>

Covid-19 India LIVE: Less than 1,000 active cases in 21 states, UTs

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	Twentystates and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours, while21 states andUTs have less than 1,000 active cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. India&#39;s COVID-19 active caseload was recorded at1,55,986 comprising 1.41 per centof the total infections. This is largely attributable to the upsurge in daily new cases in some states and UTs, the ministry said.</div>
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	&quot;However, 21 states and UTs have less than 1,000 active cases,&quot; it underlined.</div>
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	These are Jammu and Kashmir (820), Andhra Pradesh (611), Odisha (609), Goa (531), Uttarakhand (491), Bihar (478), Jharkhand (467), Chandigarh (279), Himachal Pradesh (244), Puducherry (196), Lakshadweep (86), Ladakh (56), Sikkim (43), Manipur (40), Tripura (32), Mizoram (27), Meghalaya (20), Nagaland (13), Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (5), Arunachal Pradesh (3) and Andaman and Nicobar islands (2).</div>

Sri Lanka ends forced cremations of Covid-19 victims

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	Amidst mounting international criticism, Sri Lanka has revised a controversial mandatory order to cremate the bodies of COVID-19 victims, which denied minority communities, including Muslims, their religious rights. The government on Thursday revised a gazette notification issued in April last year. The new notification has allowed both burials and cremations.</div>
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	For 10 months, Muslim and Christian minorities in the country and international rights groups have been lobbying the government to end the policy of forced cremations.</div>
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	The government was resisting calls to allow burials citing health concerns. It cited the opinion of some experts who claimed that the burial of COVID-19 victims would contaminate the water table thereby spreading the pandemic further.</div>

Coronavirus LIVE: More than 13.7 million vaccine doses administered so far

Coronavirus live updates: The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (2,130,000), Kerala (1,049,000), Karnataka (949,636), Andhra Pradesh (889,409), and Tamil Nadu (849,166)

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