Breaking News, May 24

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said “more information” is “required” from Bharat Biotech, which is seeking emergency use listing (EUL) for its Covaxin vaccine for COVID-19.

The latest ‘Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process’ guidance document dated May 18 on the WHO website said Bharat Biotech submitted EOI (Expression of Interest) on April 19 and that “More information required”.

A pre-submission meeting is expected “to be planned May-June 2021,” the guidance document said.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay was granted an extension for a period of three months, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 19.84 crore, the Union health ministry said on Monday.

It said 12,52,320 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group received their first dose of Covid vaccine on Monday and cumulatively 1,18,81,337 people across 37 states and UTs have received it since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive on May 1.

The total number of vaccine doses administered across the country so far stands at 19,84,43,550, the ministry said.

Mumbai Police constable Vinayak Shinde, an accused in the Mansukh Hiran murder case, was dismissed from the service on Monday under special powers, an official said.

The Centre on Monday further extended the deadline for mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts by a fortnight till June 15 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telangana Director General of Police M Mahendar Reddy on Monday said all vehicles entering the State from outside of it would be allowed only through e-pass or equivalent pass issued in the place of origin.

In a statement, he, however, said ambulances carrying patients from other States would be allowed.

Delhi will get its first drive-through vaccination centre at the Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital in Dwarka on May 26, officials said on Monday.

A team of Delhi Police Special cell is carrying out a search at the Twitter India office in Delhi. Details awaited.

The Kolkata Port will suspend all shipping movements from May 25 in the wake of cyclone Yaas, a senior official said on Monday.

With the slight decline in coronavirus cases, the Chandigarh administration on Monday relaxed restrictions after a month by allowing all shops to reopen for a few hours on weekdays. However, the daily night curfew (6 p.m. to 5 a.m.) will continue.

After a review meeting here, the administration allowed the shops to reopen from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Monday to Friday. However, the shops must be thoroughly sanitised. All market associations must ensure masks are available at the shop as well as at entry points to the markets.

Earlier, only shops dealing with essential commodities were allowed to operate.

Boris Johnson is among the many whose wedding plans were delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and it seems the UK Prime Minister and fiancee Carrie Symonds have finally settled on a date for their big day.

Johnson, whose divorce from Indian-origin lawyer-author Marina Wheeler concluded last year, is to marry for the third time on July 30 next year, according to ‘The Sun’ newspaper.

Johnson, 56, and Symonds, 33, based at their Downing Street flat, were engaged in late 2019 and together have a one-year-old son, Wilfred.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Monday extended the Covid-induced lockdown till May 31, an official spokesperson said. The decision to extend it till 6 am on May 31 was taken in a state cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, he said.

Earlier, the lockdown in the state was imposed till May 26.

Cyclonic storm Yaas is very likely to make landfall near Balasore in north Odisha with a speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, around noon on May 26, the Met department said on Monday.

Three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019, weeks before Beijing disclosed the COVID-19 pandemic, a US media report said, citing a previously undisclosed American intelligence document that could add weight to growing calls for a full scale probe of whether the coronavirus may have escaped from China’s top bio lab.

The details of the reporting go beyond a State Department fact sheet, issued during the final days of the Trump administration, which said that several researchers at the Wuhan lab, a center for the study of coronaviruses and other pathogens, became sick in autumn 2019 "with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illness," the Wall Street Journal reported.

Punjab farmers in large numbers are marching towards Delhi borders, said state BKU leaders in the wake of a call given to observe May 26 as a "black day" to mark six months of the agitation against the Centre’s farm laws.

The Philippines second most active volcano on Monday spewed steam-laden plumes reaching 1 kilometre high following days of volcanic earthquakes, officials said.

Equity benchmark Sensex advanced 111 points on Monday, tracking gains in HDFC twins, SBI and L&T amid mixed cues from global markets.

The 30-share BSE index climbed 111.42 points or 0.22 per cent to finish at 50,651.90. The broader NSE Nifty rose 22.40 points or 0.15 per cent to 15,197.70.

SBI was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, advancing over 2 per cent, followed by L&T, ITC, Dr Reddy's, Axis Bank and PowerGrid. On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, UltraTech Cement, Titan and Bajaj Finserv were among the losers.

Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra to assume charge of the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court from June 1: Ministry of Law and Justice

BCCI to contribute 10-Litre 2000 Oxygen concentrators 'to boost India’s efforts'

Covid 19: Sadananda Gowda hold meeting with Secretary (Pharmaceuticals) to review the availability of medicines

Fire breaks out in MP's Pithampur Industrial Area of Dhar district

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparations in view of cyclone Yaas in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The meeting was attended by senior government officials of the respective states and L-G of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Secretaries from Telecom, Power, Civil aviation, Earth Sciences Ministries were also present in the meeting. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone Yaas is expected to cross Odisha and West Bengal coasts on Wednesday.

Pfizer, Moderna to seel vaccines to GOI, not state govts: CM Arvind Kejriwal

NDRF deploys 99 teams across states to tackle Cyclone Yaas

SC expresses dismay over slow process of registration of migrant labourers

Swearing-in of newly elected MLAs underway at Kerala Assembly

Cyclone Yaas: JP Nadda to hold virtual meet with states likely to get affected

Covid 19 cases slowly spreading in rural areas, massive testing conducted: Deputy Commissioner Jammu

Cyclone Yaas: Eastern Railways suspends 25 trains between May 24 and 29 

S Jaishankar begins US visit today, arrives in New York