Top headlines: Farmers call off protest; WHO advisory on booster shots

Business Standard brings you the top stories on Thursday

Year-long farmers' stir against three acts finally comes to an end

The more than a year-long farmers’ agitation on Delhi borders formally came to an end today with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) suspending the protests following a written letter from the government clarifying all the points of discord, including an assurance to continue with the current system of Minimum Support Price (MSP), had been settled. 

The SKM leaders said in a joint press conference that protest sites across the country will start winding up on December 11 after holding a victory rally to mark the occasion. Read more

Paytm Payments Bank receives scheduled bank status from RBI

Paytm Payments Bank on Thursday said it has been given the scheduled bank status by the Reserve Bank of India.

The bank has been included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and the approval will help it to bring more financial services and products. Read more

People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get booster: WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) vaccine advisory panel recommends that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated vaccine should receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 shot, it said on Thursday.

Many countries have been rolling out booster shots, targeting the elderly and people with underlying health issues, but worries about the new Omicron variant have prompted some to expand their use to larger portions of their populations. Read more

Evergrande, Kaisa rated 'restricted default' by Fitch after missed payment

Developers China Evergrande Group and Kaisa Group were downgraded to "restricted default" by rating agency Fitch due to non-payment of offshore bond dues, while a source said Kaisa had started work on restructuring its $12 billion offshore debt.

The downgrades came on Thursday even as Evergrande and Kaisa have not officially announced the defaults that could result in long debt restructuring processes. Read more