Breaking News: November 5, 2020 | Highlights

With a surge in coronavirus cases straining health systems in many European countries, Greece announced a nationwide lockdown on Thursday in the hopes of stemming a rising tide of patients before its hospitals come under “unbearable” pressure.

October recorded the warmest nights in the last 50 years and the month was the third-warmest in terms of average monthly maximum and mean temperature during the same period, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

No power in the world will be allowed to capture an inch of Indian territory nor will India occupy an inch of a foreign land, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted on Thursday, and flayed the Congress for allegedly questioning the valour of the armed forces of the country.

Railways will resume suburban services in three divisions in West Bengal from November 11, Railway Minister Piyush Goyel said Thursday.

The services in Eastern Railway's Sealdah and Howrah divisions and South Eastern Railways Howrah-Kharagpur division to be run from November 11 will be demand based, officials said.

The Securities and Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has directed Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to make payment of the disgorged amount of Rs 447.27 Crore along with simple interest within 60 days.

Seventy-five per cent of private-sector jobs in Haryana will be reserved for local candidates, the state assembly has passed a bill on Thursday. 

The South Central Railway (SCR) has launched 'Meri Saheli', an initiative for the safety of women travellers, especially those travelling alone.

"SCR identified eight important trains plying under its jurisdiction and organised the 'Meri Saheli' campaign to increase awareness among women passengers," said a railway official.

The eight trains include the Golconda Express, Godavari Express, Rayalaseema Express, Sachkand Express, Nandigram Express, Golconda Express, Amaravati Express and Mysore Express.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday said that schools can recover only tuition fees from students till the government declares that the coronavirus pandemic is over.

It also directed that fees shall not be increased for the academic year 2020-21.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday notified guidelines for reopening of universities and colleges across the country which have been closed since March in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For central universities and other centrally funded higher education institutions, the decision for reopening of campuses has been left to the Vice Chancellors and heads.

However, for state universities and colleges, the respective state governments will have to take a call, the guidelines said.

The government on Thursday issued a set of revised guidelines for international arrivals, under which travellers seeking exemption from institutional quarantine will need to submit a negative RT-PCR report 72 hours before undertaking the journey.

The air quality worsened in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad in the National Capital Region (NCR) on Thursday to reach "severe" levels, which affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases, according to a government agency.

Air pollution is an important cofactor increasing the risk of mortality from COVID-19 as per latest research, the National Green Tribunal was informed on Thursday.

Ahead of Diwali, the Delhi government on Thursday decided to ban firecrackers in the national capital and ramp up medical infrastructure in hospitals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said after a review of the COVID-19 situation.

The Reserve Bank on Thursday came out with a Co-Lending Model (CLM) scheme under which banks can provide loans along with NBFCs to priority sector borrowers based on a prior agreement.

The CLM, which is an improvement over the co-origination of loan scheme announced by the RBI in September 2018, seeks to provide greater flexibility to the lending institutions, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a release.

Under the CLM, banks will be permitted to co-lend with all registered NBFCs (including HFCs) based on a prior agreement, RBI said, adding that "the co-lending banks will take their share of the individual loans on a back-to-back basis in their books".

The Ministry of Culture on Thursday issued guidelines for re-opening of museums, art galleries and exhibitions chalking out measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

While it has made sanitization of premises at regular intervals and wearing of masks by all visitors mandatory, the standard operating procedures (SoPs) have also barred use of audio guides unless they can be disinfected after every use.

The guidelines state that lift operations are to be limited, preferably reserved for physically challenged or elderly persons.

It has also advised limited use of touch-based digital technology except in cases where disinfection can be ensured after every use.

The Punjab government on Thursday decided to re-open universities and colleges in the areas outside COVID-19 containment zones from November 16 in the state.

Rallying for the fourth straight session, the Sensex surged 724 points on Thursday to close above the 41,000-mark on across-the-board buying amid a strong trend in the global markets despite uncertainty over the US poll outcome. READ MORE

A man was arrested in the district for posting a selfie with a gun on social media, police said. According to Circle Officer Kuldeep Kumar, the man, identified as Karan Kumar, of Chokda village posted the picture on social media along with a text where he put out his "price list" for committing various crimes.

The arrest was made on Wednesday after the photograph went viral on social media. A case was registered against him in this regard following which he was arrested, the officer said, adding that he is being interrogated.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal appeals to people to avoid bursting firecrackers this Diwali in view of rising air pollution

India determined to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity in face of unilateralism and aggression, says Rajnath on border row with China

• It gives me immense pleasure to address National Defence College which is the highest seat of strategic learning in our country on its Diamond Jubilee. Congratulations to Commandant & NDC staff on completing 60 yrs of dedicated service to the nation: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh\
• Perhaps the most fundamental lesson that the roller coaster of the rise and fall of nations taught us was that peace cannot necessarily be achieved by a desire for peace but by the ability to deter war: Rajnath Singh

Two dead and six injured in an explosion at a chemical factory in Dheku area of Raigad in Maharashtra last night. Injured shifted to hospital.

At least two dozen shops were gutted when a fire broke out in a vegetable market here, police said on Thursday. The blaze broke out at about 1:25 am and immediately fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

"The fire was controlled after about seven hours," Chief Fire Officer, Jasveer Singh, said. The exact losses are yet to be ascertained. 

50,210 new infections, 704 fatalities push India's COVID-19 caseload to 83,64,086, death toll to 1,24,315, says Health Ministry

A court in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district sentenced a man to 20 years in jail on Wednesday for raping a 5-year-old girl. The additional district and sessions judge also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the accused.

Sanjeev had raped the girl in Agota area, following which he was arrested under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. 

At 76,56,478, the percentage of total cured cases are 92.09%. Active cases 6.42% of the total cases stand at 5,33,787: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Delhi: Air Quality continues to deteriorate in the national capital

Air Quality Index is at 451 in RK Puram (severe category), 394 at Lodhi Raod (very poor category), 440 around IGI Airport (severe category) and 456 in Dwarka (severe category)