12:03 AMWHO says likely to receive clarifications from Bharat Biotech on Covaxin by weekend
The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said it expects to receive clarifications from Bharat Biotech by the end of this week on its COVID-19 vaccine -- Covaxin -- and will meet on November 3 for a final risk-benefit assessment for the Emergency Use Listing.
WHO Technical Advisory Group for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is an independent advisory group that provides recommendations to WHO on whether a #COVID19 vaccine can be listed for emergency use under the EUL procedure, the WHO tweeted.
The Technical Advisory Group met October 26 and decided that additional clarifications from the manufacturer (Bharat Biotech) are needed to conduct a final EUL risk-benefit assessment for global use of the Covaxin vaccine".
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10:48 PMFarmers going to Singhu to demand justice for Lakhbir allege lathicharge by police
A group of farmers from Hind Mazdoor Kisan Samiti on Wednesday alleged that they were stopped and lathicharged by the Delhi Police in Narela area while going towards the Singhu border to demand justice for Lakhbir Singh, who was lynched at the farmers' protest site for alleged sacrilege.
According to police, the group claiming to be a part of a farmers' association created ruckus near the Singhu border after some of their front cadre started pushing people.
They claimed to have come from Uttar Pradesh and it appeared that they wanted to go towards the Singhu border. When asked, they did not share the exact reason for their visit, a senior police officer said.
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10:28 PMWHO: Europe had most COVID-19 cases, deaths over last week
Europe stood out as the only major region worldwide to report an increase in both coronavirus cases and deaths over the last week, with double-digit percentage increases in each, the United Nations' health agency said on Wednesday.
The World Health Organisation said that cases in its 53-country European region, which stretches as far east as several former Soviet republics in central Asia, recorded an 18% increase in COVID-19 cases over the last week a fourth straight weekly increase for the area.
In WHO's weekly epidemiological report on COVID-19, Europe also saw a 14% increase in deaths. That amounted to more than 1.6 million new cases and over 21,000 deaths.
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9:31 PMIndia successfully test-fires Agni-5 missile having range of 5,000 km
In a major boost to its military might, India on Wednesday successfully test-fired surface-to-surface ballistic missile
Agni-5 that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km with a very high degree of accuracy, officials said. The test-firing was carried around 7:50 PM from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha, they said.
"The successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India's stated policy to have credible minimum deterrence that underpins the commitment to 'No First Use'," the defence ministry said.
The successful test-firing of the missile came in the midst of a lingering border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
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9:19 PMPNB Q2 profit soars by 78 pc to Rs 1,105 crore
State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Wednesday reported a 78 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 1,105 crore for the second quarter ended on September 30 despite a fall in income.
The country's second-largest lender had posted a net profit of Rs 620.81 crore during the corresponding quarter a year ago.
However, the bank's total income during the July-September quarter declined to Rs 21,262.32 crore as against Rs 23,279.79 crore in the corresponding period last year, PNB said in a regulatory filing.
The bank's operating profit too declined to Rs 4,021.12 crore from Rs 5,674.91 crore in the same quarter in the previous financial year.
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8:58 PMGovt appoints veteran banker K V Kamath as chairperson of Rs 20,000-cr NaBFID
The government on Wednesday announced the appointment of veteran banker K V Kamath as chairperson of the newly set up Rs 20,000 crore development finance institution NaBFID to catalyse investment in the funds-starved infrastructure sector.
Parliament had in March cleared the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Bill 2021 to support the development of long-term non-recourse infrastructure financing in India, including the development of the bonds and derivatives markets necessary for infrastructure financing.
"New approach to building #AatmaNirbharBharat! Central Government has appointed Shri K. V. Kamath to the post of Chairperson, National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development, a newly set up DFI in India," Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the finance ministry, said in a tweet.
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8:47 PMSurface to Surface Ballistic Missile Agni-5 successfully launched in Odisha
Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile, Agni-5, successfully launched from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha on Wednesday.
The missile, which uses 3-stage solid-fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy, the government informed.
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8:36 PM77% of eligible population in India has been vaccinated against Covid-19 with first dose: Health ministry
77% of eligible population in India has beUnion Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said 77% of eligible population in India has been vaccinated against Covid-19 with first dose and 32% people have received both the doses.
More than 10 crore people haven't taken second dose of vaccine, he said, adding people who are eligible for second dose should take the vaccine.
The health minister said the government is going to launch a mega vaccination campaign 'Har Ghar Dastak' and for the next one month, healthcare workers will go door-to-door to vaccinate people eligible for second dose & also those who have not taken the first dose.
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8:24 PMClear dues of Air India, purchase tickets in cash: Finance ministry
Finance Ministry has directed all ministries and departments of central government to clear dues of Air India and purchase tickets from the airline in cash, the airline said, in which government recently disinvested its stake, has stopped extending credit facility on account of air ticket purchase, the ANI has reported.
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8:11 PMNo other case of Zika virus has been detected in Kanpur: UP health minister
A case of Zika virus was reported at Air Force Station in Kanpur. The family of patient as well as everyone in the 4-km radius area of the station have been tested and no other case has been detected, said Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday, ANI reported.
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7:52 PMPM Modi participates in 16th East Asia Summit via video conference
PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday participated in 16th East Asia Summit hosted by Brunei through video conference.
"Re-affirmed India’s focus on a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the principle of ASEAN Centrality in the region," the PM tweeted.
"India remains committed to strengthening respect for shared values of multilateralism, rules-based international order, international law & sovereignty & territorial integrity of all nations. I look forward to participating in the 18th ASEAN-India Summit tomorrow," he added.
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7:25 PMRJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav speaks to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi
Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi spoke with RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday over phone after the meeting of the party's general secretaries, State in-charges and Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents in Delhi.
"I spoke to Sonia Gandhi, she asked me about my well-being & whereabouts," said Yadav, adding he asked her to get together all like-minded people to form a strong alternative.
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7:07 PMNCB officials made me sign blank papers, says witness in another drugs case
Another witness in a separate drugs case on Wednesday levelled a similar allegation against the agency officials, including its Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, the PTI has reported.
The witness, Shekhar Kamble, a resident of Navi Mumbai, said he was made to sign on 10-12 blank papers by Wankhede and others, which were later used as panchnama in connection with a Nigerian national's arrest from Mumbai's Kharghar in August this year.
He also claimed that although no drugs was recovered from the Nigerian national, the NCB falsely showed that some amount of MD drug was found on him.
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6:30 PMBharat Biotech's US partner Ocugen files request to FDA for Covaxin trials
Ocugen, Bharat Biotech's US partner for Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, on Wednesday said it has submitted Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct clinical trials.
The development comes a day after the World Health Organisation sought more details from Bharat Biotech to consider its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin for Emergency Use Listing.
The US firm in a press release said the Phase 3 trial, proposed in the IND, is designed to establish whether the immune response experienced by participants in a completed Phase 3 efficacy trial in India is similar to that observed in a demographically representative, healthy adult population in the USA.
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