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.

Live news updates: India administering one billion vaccine doses against the coronavirus is not just a statistic but a symbol of its capabilities, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.


The death toll from floods, landslides and building collapses in Uttarakhand after rains earlier this week reached 64 on Thursday. At least 11 people are missing.

The Supreme Court said on Thursday farmers are entitled to protest against the government over three new agricultural laws but protesters cannot block a road indefinitely.

The Bombay High Court asked Zee Entertainment Enterprises to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders as asked by top investor Invesco. Zee will tell the court on Friday when the EGM will be held.

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.