LIVE: Delhi govt fixes maximum price for RT-PCR tests in pvt labs at Rs 300

Rapid antigen test to detect Covid to be done at Rs 100, says govt

8:46 AM

Global Covid caseload tops 337.1 mn

Amid an ongoing resurgence across the world, the global coronavirus caseload has topped 337.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.56 million and vaccinations to over 9.71 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and the death toll stood at 337,112,379 and 5,563,776, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered has increased to 9,710,746,441.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 68,508,181 and 857,672, according to the CSSE.

8:42 AM

Mexico registers record 60,552 new COVID-19 cases over past 24 hours

Mexico has confirmed 60,552 new coronavirus cases within the past 24 hours, marking thus the largest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, the national Ministry of Health said.

Within the same period of time, the country recorded 323 fatalities.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mexico has surpassed 4.49 million, while the death toll stands at 302,112 people.

8:36 AM

First aid flight leaves for Tonga after big volcano eruption

The first flight carrying fresh water and other aid to Tonga was finally able to leave on Thursday after the Pacific nation's main airport runway was cleared of ash left by a huge volcanic eruption.

A C-130 Hercules military transport plane left New Zealand carrying water containers, kits for temporary shelters, generators, hygiene supplies and communications equipment, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said.

8:35 AM

Momentum in India's favour, need to prevail over Covid: Deloitte CEO on economic development

India needs to continue creating an environment of being an attractive destination for foreign investment and also ensure its fight against Covid is successful, Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen said while stressing the momentum is in the country's favour.

He said India will be the fastest-growing large economy in the world in 2022, registering a growth of somewhere between eight and nine per cent. "This is going to be India's century," Renjen told PTI in an interview.

Stressing on the urgency of prevailing over the coronavirus, he said the pandemic is an "overhang in terms of economic development".

8:34 AM

Omicron vaccine could be available in Netherlands by April: official

A vaccine adapted to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 could be available in the Netherlands by the end of April, Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuipers wrote on Wednesday in a letter to the parliament.

In his letter, Kuipers responded to a question from Democrats 66 Member of Parliament Jan Paternotte regarding whether pharmaceutical companies Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are working on an Omicron-adapted vaccine.

"Both companies are currently working on such an adaptation," Kuipers wrote. "The creation and approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) of such a modified vaccine take at least 100 days."

8:33 AM

Prior infection, vaccines provide best protection from Covid

A new study in two states that compares coronavirus protection from prior infection and vaccination concludes getting the shots is still the safest way to prevent COVID-19.

The study examined infections in New York and California last summer and fall and found people who were both vaccinated and had survived a prior bout of COVID-19 had the most protection.

But unvaccinated people with a past infection were a close second. By fall, when the more contagious delta variant had taken over but boosters weren't yet widespread, that group had a lower case rate than vaccinated people who had no past infection.

8:32 AM

Air India among airlines skipping US airports over 5G safety dispute

Air India joined at least nine other international airlines that have modified or cancelled flights to the US amid conflicting reports on what new 5G cell phone services can do to critical airplane technologies.

Carriers are taking a variety of approaches to the spiraling crisis. Air India, Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa and British Airways have announced changes to some of their flights.

Air India said it would suspend the service between Delhi and San Francisco, Chicago and JFK as well as a Mumbai to Newark flight. It will continue to fly into Washington Dulles.

8:28 AM

Red Cross says data hack exposes vulnerable people

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which is best known for helping war victims, says hackers broke into servers hosting its data and gained access to personal, confidential information on more than a half-million vulnerable people. The Geneva-based agency said on Wednesday the breach by unknown intruders this week affected data about some 5,15,000 people, the AP reported.

7:58 AM

Sri Lankan central bank raises interest rates

The Sri Lankan central bank raised interest rates on Thursday, as expected, to curb growing inflationary pressures in the economy but said the current rise in prices was largely fuelled by supply side disruptions which was expected to be transitory. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) raised the standing deposit facility rate and the standing lending facility rate by 50 basis points each to 5.50% and 6.50%, Reuters reported.

7:29 AM

World Bank chief takes swipe at Microsoft's $69 bln gaming deal

World Bank President David Malpass on Wednesday criticized Microsoft's $69 billion takeover of gaming developer Activision Blizzard as a questionable allocation of capital at a time when poor countries are struggling to restructure debts and fight Covid-19 and poverty, Reuters reported. Malpass said at a virtual event that more capital needed to flow into poor countries, but these flows have been disrupted by unusually easy monetary policies in developed countries.

6:10 AM

No sparks in Q3FY22 results of financial sector's leaders

Two market leaders in their segments have declared results for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 (Q3FY22). HDFC Bank is perhaps the most highly valued bank in the world and the results — which were announced over the weekend — were more or less in line with expectations.

 

6:01 AM

Air India cancels 8 US flights over 5G deployment

Air India cancelled eight flights on India-US routes from onwards due to deployment of 5G internet in North America which could interfere with aircraft's navigation systems.