LIVE: Maharashtra reports 31 new Omicron cases; state tally reaches 141

Of these, Mumbai saw 27 cases, which raised the city's count of such cases to 73. Stay tuned for LIVE updates

7:25 PM

Delhi records 290 more coronavirus cases in a day

Delhi reported 290 fresh coronavirus cases and one fatality, while the positivity rate rose to 0.55 percent, according to data shared by the Delhi government's health department here on Sunday.

 

With this, the cumulative tally rose to 14,43,352 while the death toll rose to 25,105. The number of active cases stands at 1,103, of which 583 patients are in home isolation.

 

There has been an uptick in the number of cases in the last few days, amid a threat of the Omicron variant of the virus.

7:20 PM

Japan keen to work with Haryana on climate change, environmental issues

Japan has shown a keen interest to provide technical support and collaborate with the Haryana government on climate change and environmental issues, an official statement said on Sunday.

 

Secretary, Environment, Embassy of Japan, Yuki Yoshida, along with Haryana officials, on Sunday visited Aravalli mountains at Bhondsi in Gurgaon to explore the potential of setting up a center of excellence related to climate change, waste management, e-vehicles, air pollution, biodiversity conservation, land degradation, desertification and other allied areas, it said.

 

Advisor to Haryana chief minister for Foreign Cooperation Department Pawan Chaudhary and Managing Director and ex-country representative, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dr Vivek Saxena discussed the potential areas of partnership and collaboration, it further said.

7:17 PM

Centre to constitute panel to look into withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland: CM

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Sunday said that the Centre has decided to constitute a five-member committee to look into the withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 or AFSPA from the northeastern state.

 

The committee will be headed by the Ministry of Home Affairs additional secretary (Northeast), and will include the chief secretary and director general of police of Nagaland, besides inspector general of Assam Rifles (North) and a representative of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF),

 

The panel will submit its recommendations within 45 days, based on which the decision on whether to continue designating Nagaland as a "disturbed area" or withdrawing AFSPA from the state will be taken, a joint statement issued by Rio, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton and Leader of Naga Peoples' Front Legislature Party T R Zeliang here said.

7:13 PM

PM Modi to inaugurate completed section of Kanpur Metro on December 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the completed section of Kanpur Metro rail project on December 28.

 

He will also inaugurate the Bina-Panki multiproduct pipeline project and attend the 54th convocation ceremony of IIT Kanpur.

6:53 PM

Andhra reports 2 more Omicron cases, adds 82 fresh cases to Covid tally

Andhra Pradesh on Sunday reported two more cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, taking the tally to six.

 

The two new cases were reported from Anantapuram and Prakasam districts, and both persons arrived from foreign countries, the Director of Public Health said in a statement.

 

A 48 year-old male who recently came from South Africa to Hyderabad and then to Ongole on December 16 tested Covid-19 positive on December 20. His samples were sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, for genome sequencing, it said.

6:39 PM

Kerala coronavirus update: 1,824 fresh Covid-19 cases, 268 deaths reported

Fresh Covid-19 cases in Kerala dropped below the 2,000-mark on Sunday reporting 1,824 new infections which took the caseload to 52,23,293 till date.

 

Also, the State reported 268 deaths which raised the toll to 46,586 so far, an official press release said.

6:26 PM

Karnataka CM Bommai rules out reconsidering fresh Covid-19 curbs

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday ruled out reconsidering the government's decision to impose night curfew and curbs on New Year celebrations in the State in the wake of fresh COVID-19 concerns.

 

Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry and hotel and pub owners have requested the government to reconsider its decision.

6:04 PM

UP polls: Pradhan holds brainstorming session with party's Brahmin leaders

The BJP's Uttar Pradesh poll in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan Sunday held a brainstorming session with the party's Brahmin leaders from the state with an aim to maintain the caste equation in the party's favour, sources said.

 

The over-three-hour meeting at Pradhan's residence here was attended by the party's all prominent Brahmin leaders from the state which, among others, included Jitin Prasada, Ramapati Tripathi, several MPs, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, state cabinet ministers Shrikant Sharma and Brijesh Pathak.

5:52 PM

RBL Bank does not anticipate big short-term capital needs: Rajeev Ahuja

India's RBL Bank said on Sunday the private bank's business fundamentals were intact with scope for tremendous improvement, a day after its top executive stepped down and the central bank appointed an executive to its board.

 

Rajeev Ahuja, the bank's newly-appointed MD and CEO, told reporters the bank does not anticipate major capital needs in the short term, countering fears of problems in management.

5:49 PM

UP elections: Goons making an exodus under Adityanath govt, says Amit Shah

Union Home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said criminals in Uttar Pradesh are making an exodus now, while earlier it was common man who was forced to flee by them.

 

Shah praised UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his governance saying people were not afraid anymore to send their children to school.

 

"Earlier, the law and order situation was so bad, people used to hesitate in sending their children to schools. But in five years of Yogi Adityanath government, all goons have made an exodus from UP," he said while addressing a Jan Vishwas Yatra' in Kasganj here.

 

The union minister also accused the BSP and the SP of playing caste politics and not working for development when they governed the state.

 

Speaking about the recently inaugurated Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, Shah said the holy site used to wear a deserted look, before it was beautified under the watch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

5:39 PM

Over 44.3 mn income tax returns filed till December 25 for 2020-21

Over 4.43 crore income tax returns (ITRs) for the 2020-21 fiscal have been filed, which includes over 11.68 lakh returns filed on December 25, the I-T department said on Sunday.

 

This comprises over 2.41 crore ITR-1 and 1.09 crore ITR-4 getting filed for FY2020-21 (Assessment Year 2021-22) till December 25, 2021.

 

"A total of 4,43,17,697 #ITRs have been filed up to 25.12.2021 including 11,68,027 #ITRs having been filed on the day itself," the department tweeted.

5:26 PM

Over 21,900 vaccine doses administered to inmates of three jails in Delhi

Over 21,900 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to the inmates of three jails in the national capital so far, the Delhi Prisons Department said on Sunday.

 

According to the officials, 21,970 doses -- 15,152 first and 6,818 the second shot -- have been administered till December 25.

5:09 PM

Scientist says China's 'Zero Covid' policy won't work against Omicron

The scientist who warned the world about the Omicron Covid-19 variant has told China its 'Zero Covid' police won't work against the super-transmissible mutant strain, the Daily Mail reported.

 

The Chinese city of Xian's 13 million residents were ordered on Thursday into a draconian stay-at-home lockdown because of 250 cases.

 

4:55 PM

Centre to institute five-member committee to look into withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland: CM Neiphiu Rio

4:44 PM

Need to bring back Covid curbs in Kolkata in light of X-Mas crowds: Experts

A day after the city saw huge crowds of mid-night revelers thronging the eastern metropolis's busy Park Street to celebrate Christmas, health experts and doctors cautioned the state government against allowing more such gatherings especially during the New Year festivities, pointing to the rising number of Covid cases in the country and emergent threat from a more virulent Omicron strain.

 

Experts pointed out that the state authorities which had earned kudos for managing crowds during Durga Puja two months back, should not have relaxed their guard during the Christmas festival which is also a popular festive occasion given the fact that people are suffering from "Covid fatigue" and were likely to dispel with safety norms.