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3:48 PM

New study shows loss of smell among most prevalent symptoms of long Covid

Smell loss is one of the most prevalent symptoms of long Covid, according to a new study.

 

According to the research, it reveals that almost a third of long Covid patients suffer persistent smell loss, with almost a fifth experiencing loss of taste

3:36 PM

Those supporting terror ecosystem will face action: J&K L-G Manoj Sinha

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday that those supporting the 'terror ecosystem' will face action.

 

Addressing a media conference here, Sinha said, "Whosoever supports the terror ecosystem in J&K will face action."

2:54 PM

CM Kejriwal directs health dept to ramp up genome sequencing: Officials

The Delhi government is keeping a watch on the COVID-19 situation and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the health department to ensure genome sequencing of samples and take other steps needed to meet any eventuality, officials said on Wednesday.

 

Amid a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases in Japan, South Korea, Brazil, China and the US, the central government had on Tuesday urged all states and Union territories to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples to keep track of emerging variants.

2:42 PM

UN official warns against new Armenia-Azerbaijan clash over disputed land

A senior UN official urged the international community on Tuesday to prevent Armenia and Azerbaijan from resuming their conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region as the two countries accused each other of violating a Russian-brokered peace agreement.

 

UN Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Miroslav Jenca said a renewed conflict would likely impact the wider south Caucasus region and beyond.

2:31 PM

Covid-19 cases in the US surpass 100 million: Johns Hopkins University

The number of Covid-19 cases registered in the US since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 exceeded a staggering 100 million, Johns Hopkins University has said, amid a sharp spike in caseloads globally and the WHO making a strong pitch for vaccination.

 

Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea, Brazil and China have witnessed a sudden spike in coronavirus cases over the last week. US-based Johns Hopkins University in its latest update said that 100,003,837 coronavirus cases were reported in the country so far.

2:16 PM

Oppn leaders protest in Parl, demand discussion on India-China faceoff

Congress MP Sonia Gandhi and other Opposition leaders on Wednesday protested in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises, demanding a discussion on the recent India-China clash at Tawang.

 

Earlier in the day Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Manish Tewari gave Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the border situation with China.

2:06 PM

We appeal to all, especially senior citizens, to take precaution dose: NITI Aayog's Dr VK Paul

NITI Aayog's member, Dr VK Paul, after Union Health Minister's Mansukh Mandaviya meeting on Covid, says, "Only 27-28 per cent of people have taken precaution dose. We appeal to others, especially senior citizens, to take precaution dose. Precaution dose is mandated and guided to everyone."

"Use a mask if you are in a crowded space, indoors or outdoors. This is all the more important for people with comorbidities or are of higher age," he adds.

 

1:55 PM

BFSI Summit | Credit-deposit gap seems divergent due to base, says RBI guv

The wide gap between credit and deposit growth is because of their respective bases and both reflect the fundamentals of the Indian economy, Reserve Bank of India’s governor Shaktikanta Das said at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit on Wednesday.

“Just as credit growth looks very high because of the low base of the previous year, deposit growth also looks pretty low because of the base effect of the previous years. This is because in the Covid period, deposits were growing by around 10 or 11 per cent,” Das said during a fireside chat.

According to latest data released by RBI, bank credit is growing at 17.5 per cent while deposit growth is lagging at 9.9 per cent, as on December 2, 2022. Credit growth during the year-ago period was 7,3 per cent and deposits were growing at 9.4 per cent.

1:36 PM

Why just Bharat Jodo Yatra?: Congress after Mandaviya's letter to Rahul

Accusing the government of selectively picking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress on Wednesday said the BJP was taking out yatras in Karnataka and Rajasthan and asked if Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had sent letters to their organisers too.

The poser from Congress leader Pawan Khera came after the minister on Tuesday wrote to former party president Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to consider suspending the Bharat Jodo Yatra if Covid protocols could not be followed.

Khera, who pointed to the lack of restrictions in public transport, also asked the government to announce Covid protocols and said the party would follow them.

"We are wondering why a similar letter was not sent to the president of BJP in Rajasthan Satish Punia who is carrying out a Janakrosh Yatra there. We understand there is not much of a response to that Janakrosh Yatra, there are no people there," Khera told reporters.

 

1:28 PM

BFSI summit | Next financial crisis will come from cryptocurrency: RBI Guv Das

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das, on Wednesday, said that the next financial crisis would come from private cryptocurrencies. Speaking at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit, Das said that he believed that these privately held virtual currencies need to be banned.

"The term 'cryptocurrency' is a fashionable way of describing what is otherwise a 100 per cent speculative activity," Das said.

Das said that these currencies have "no underlying whatsoever" and pose a threat to macroeconomic stability.

"Mark my words, the next financial crisis will come from private cryptocurrencies...After the FTX episode, don't think we need to say anything more on crypto," he said. Read more

1:22 PM

Rupee premiums likely to stay above 2% after RBI's push: Report

The Indian rupee's forward premiums could rise further after the recent intervention by the Reserve Bank of India through public sector banks lifted them from multi-year lows, analysts said.

The 1-year USD/INR implied yield was at 2.08% on Wednesday, hovering near its highest level in about a month. The yield is up about 45 basis points (bps) from its decade low hit on the day of policy outcome on Dec. 7.

The RBI looks comfortable with the current level of forward premiums, especially since it has lifted informal restrictions on banks for trading in the non-deliverable forward (NDF) market, said the treasury head of a private lender, who declined to be named.

 

1:08 PM

Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP, its ideology as Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Haryana

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted the BJP, saying while one ideology gives benefits to a select few, another is the voice of the people, farmers and labourers.

 

As the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by him crossed over into Haryana from Rajasthan this morning, Gandhi also said that inflation and unemployment are the biggest issues affecting the country.

12:52 PM

Maha will rethink about water supply to K'taka if irresponsible remarks continue: Minister

Amid the simmering border dispute, Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Wednesday said if Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai does not stop making irresponsible statements, Maharashtra will have to rethink about water supply from its dams to the neighbouring state.

 

The Maharashtra government last month appointed cabinet members Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai as nodal ministers to coordinate with the legal team regarding a court case on the state's border dispute with Karnataka.

11:54 AM

Mandaviya chairs meeting with health officials over Covid-19 situation

11:47 AM

Winter Session: Sonia Gandhi chairs Congress Parliamentary Party meeting

Amid the Opposition's offensive against the government over the India-China border tensions, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of all party MPs in Parliament to discuss the strategy for the remainder of the Winter Session.

The Congress Parliamentary Party meeting was held at Parliament's Central Hall with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and all party MPs in attendance.

Gandhi is the chairperson of the CPP.

Later in the day, the Congress will stage a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to demand a discussion on the India-China border tensions.