Breaking News December 2 | Highlight

The Chinese government had planned the Galwan Valley incident in June, potentially including the possibility for fatalities, a US Congressional Commission has said, asserting that Beijing "provoked" the first deadly clash on the Sino-India border in nearly half a century.

Puducherry Health Secretary T Arun, who is also the district collector, has tested positive for COVID-19, official sources said on Wednesday. Arun was admitted to JIPMER on Tuesday, the sources said, adding his condition was 'stable'.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao and Chief Secretary to the territorial government Ashwani Kumar enquired about the Collector's health with the hospital management.

Odisha on Wednesday launched emergency helpline '112' to provide all forms of assistance to the people in distress. The '112' integrates emergency services such as police, ambulance, fire department and women's helpline under a Centre-sponsored scheme that is already functional in several states, officials said.

People in distress need to just dial '112' now, instead of remembering and calling different helpline numbers such as '100', '101', '102', '104', '108' and '181', they said.

All these numbers have now been clubbed into the single toll-free helpline of '112' for the convenience of the people, officials said.

British regulators insisted that “no corners have been cut” during the assessment of the the COVID-19 vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, which was cleared for emergency use on Wednesday. In a briefing after the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency became the first regulator worldwide to approve the vaccine, its chair, Dr. June Raine, said the public can be “absolutely confident” that its standards are equivalent to those anywhere around the world.

Regulators also revealed the order by which the vaccine will be rolled out across the country over the coming weeks and months, beginning next week. The U.K. has ordered around 40 million doses of the vaccine, which can potentially immunize 20 million people as two doses are required.

Residents in nursing homes and their carers will be offered the vaccine first followed by those aged 80 and over and frontline health and social care workers. From there, the priority plan largely follows age groups.

According to Munir Pirmohamed, chair of a medicines panel, people will be immune seven days after the second dose.

Karnataka is fully prepared for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccine, Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Wednesday, as phase-III clinical trial of "Covaxin" being developed by Bharat Biotech began in the state.

China has started importing Indian rice after a gap of two years and placed orders for shipment of about 5,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice due to competitive prices offered by India compared to other nations, according to the All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA).

India is the world's major exporter of rice, while China is the biggest importer. In 2006, China was given market access for Indian rice but shipments took place only during the 2017-18 fiscal.

Veteran BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for by-election to a Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar which has been necessitated by the death of Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

"We want to build a world-class film city in Uttar Pradesh. We held discussions with several producers, directors, actors and other experts related to film industry in this regard," UP CM Yogi Adityanath said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while addressing media in Mumbai said, "It's a historic moment for us as it's for the first time that any Municipal Corporation of North India has launched such a bond at BSE. Listing of Lucknow Municipal bond is a revolutionary step for Municipality reform."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath is addressing media in Mumbai.

National Green Tribunal extends ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the National Capital Region and all cities/towns in the country where the ambient air quality falls under the ‘poor’ and above category.

President Ram Nath Kovind appoints 10 Additional Judges to the Madras High Court

Breaking: Odisha Government caps the price of RT-PCR test by private labs at Rs 400

Two people were killed and as many injured on Wednesday when their car was hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway near Guluapur village in Bangarmau area. Deepak Kumar Pandey (24) and one unidentified woman died on the spot, they said, adding that the injured were rushed to the hospital where their condition is stated to be stable.

All of them were going to Gorakhpur from Gurgaon, police said. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. A probe is on in the matter, they added.

The World Malaria Report 2020 released by WHO, indicates  India has made considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden. India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018, says Ministry of Health

Gujarat High Court orders compulsory community service at COVID19 care centres for those who do not wear masks, directs State Government to issue a notification

Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's final extradition hearings in a UK Court scheduled to be held on 7th & 8th January 2021.

Police have recovered one AK-47 rifle with 1 magazine and 55 rounds of ammunition in the Baksa district, says ADGP, Law and Order, Assam Police

Six people, including a girl child died and three other injured when a vehicle in which they were travelling collided with a truck carrying borewell rig at
Chevella near here on Wednesday morning. The victims were on their way to Gurmitkal in Karnataka from the city and a total of 11 members were in the vehicle when the accident occurred.

"Four women, a girl child and driver of the vehicle died on the spot. The injured were admitted to hospital," a police official said. Over speeding is suspected to be the cause of the mishap.

Three people, including two women, were killed when their bike was hit by an unidentified vehicle in Bhinga area here, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place late Tuesday evening, injuring Ram Charan (30), his wife Rukma (25), sister Sushila (24) and the couple's infant daughter, they said.

All of them were rushed to the hospital by the police with the help of villagers. Ram Charan, Rukma and Sushila died during treatment, while the condition of the child is stated to be out of danger, they added. Police is probing the matter.