Covid Live News Updates: Kerala reports 20,452 new COVID-19 cases; TPR is 14.35 per cent

Tamil Nadu reports 1,933 fresh COVID cases, 1,887 discharges, and 34 deaths today

Al Qaeda will probably come back: UK defence minister on Afghanistan crisis

Cricket | India vs England 2nd Test, Day 2: India all out at 364 runs in their first innings at Lord’s, London

Centre has released 35% of the amount under the Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness (ECRP-II) Package to the states to improve health infrastructure: Union Health Ministry

Independence Day 15th August will be celebrated routinely with fervour and enthusiasm, no threat could hamper the celebrations. We will hoist the national flag. I appeal to the people to celebrate the day by staying in their houses

– Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur

Assam Assembly passes The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 which proposes to ban the sale and purchase of beef within a radius of 5 km of any temple

Delhi reports 50 new COVID-19 cases, 84 recoveries and zero deaths in the last 24 hours

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit Kerala on August 16 and Guwahati, Assam on August 17.

First Nasal Vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its PSU, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) gets a nod of regulator for Phase 2/3 Trial: Ministry of Science & Technology

CPI (M) Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem writes to Rajya Sabha Secretary-General seeking “an immediate probe and necessary actions on the incidents of physically assaulting and attacking the opposition MPs inside the Rajya Sabha chamber on August 11.”

Kerala reports 20,452 fresh COVID cases, 16,856 recoveries, and 114 deaths in the last 24 hours

Cricket: World Cup winning U19 India captain Unmukt Chand calls it a day

Unmukt Chand, who had led India to U-19 World Cup title triumph but struggled to replicate his success at the senior level, on Friday announced his retirement from all forms of the game.

India’s overall exports: Here’re the details

Overall imports in July 2021 are estimated to be USD 57.29 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 50.15% over the same period last year and a positive growth of 10.60% over July 2019

– Ministry of Commerce & Industry

July exports up 49.85% on year at $35.43 bln, imports up 63% y-o-y at $46.40 bln, reports ET Bureau

CRPF head constable and two civilians injured after militants lob grenade at a security forces party in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district: Police

Reports PTI

Delhi Police issues traffic advisory ahead of Independence Day

A man died and two others sustained grievous injuries at a construction site inside American embassy: Delhi Police

Vipul Chitalia, accused in the PNB scam case, granted bail

Special CBI court granted interim bail to Vipul Chitalia, accused in the PNB scam case to attend his daughter’s Roka Ceremony, reports ET Bureau.

Ruckus in Rajya Sabha started because Govt went back on its word, tried to pass legislation by ‘stealth’

– Cong leader P Chidambaram to PTI

Chair in both Houses not as neutral as it should be; it does not reflect sense of the House

– P Chidambaram to PTI

Kinnaur landslide: One more body was retrieved from the rubbles

16 dead bodies have been recovered from the site so far: HP-State Emergency Operation Centre

Lakshadweep administration has imposed curbs on the movement of people travelling to the mainland from the islands in view of the COVID-19 situation prevailing in neighbouring States, especially Kerala

India antitrust agency approves acquisition of shares by Warburg Pincus, Temasek in Ola

Reports Reuters

Afghan official says the Taliban have captured the capital of the western province of Ghor

India Competition Regulator Approves Zomato’s Stake Buy In Grofers, reports Reuters

In Delhi, four members of inter-state arms trafficking rackets were arrested from different locations.

“55 illegal pistols, 50 live cartridges were recovered. A mobile phone and SIM cards were seized,” police said.

Data entry operator of one of the offices of Assistant Electoral Roll Officer had illegally shared his user id, password with an unauthorized service provider in Saharanpur’s Nakud to print some Voter IDs. Both persons were arrested. ECI database is absolutely safe & secure: ECI

Twitter India’s Manish Maheshwari to move to US as Senior Director

Taliban capture provincial capital of Logar, 50 km (30 miles) south of Kabul: local official

Manufacture, sale & use of identified single-use plastic items like plates, cups, straws, trays, polystyrene banned from July 1, 2022: Govt

It’s clarified that Centre hasn’t taken any decision of divesting Punjab Governor of this responsibility of Chandigarh Administrator neither is any such proposal under contemplation. It’s also clarified that Sukhbir Singh Badal has not raised this issue with the Home Minister

– MHA

NATO envoys to meet Friday on Afghanistan: Sources to AFP

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change notifies Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibits identified single-use plastic items which have low utility and high littering potential by 2022

Adi Godrej to step down as Godrej Industries Chairman

Nadir Godrej to take over

Bihar: Mortal remains of Nagsen Aman, the Gaya native student who was murdered in China last month, arrive in Patna

Rupee settles on flat note, up 1 paisa at 74.24 (provisional) against US dollar

Sensex rallies 593.31 pts to end at fresh lifetime high of 55,437.29; Nifty soars 164.70 pts to record 16,529.10

Pakistan involved in the attack on the BSF convoy: IGP Kashmir

Usman, the terrorist killed in the Kulgam encounter, is a Pakistani & a close associate of top JeM commander Lamboo who was recently killed in an encounter. It confirms Pakistan’s involvement in the attack on the BSF convoy: IGP Kashmir Vijya Kumar

Bombay HC says Governor has Constitutional obligation to either accept or reject nominations made by Chief Minister to MLC posts within reasonable time

Koshyari has not been taking a decision on the 12 names recommended for the MLC posts since last November when the state govt had sent the names. Among the 12 recommended names is actress turned politician Urmila Matondkar, reports ET Bureau.

Militants lob a grenade at a security forces party in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir: Police

Tejashwi Yadav writes to PM Modi, demanding a caste census

Russian Direct Investment Fund & Wockhardt Limited, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in India, have partnered to produce and supply Sputnik V & Sputnik Light vaccines against COVID-19: Wockhardt Limited

All govt officials surrendered after Herat fell to Taliban: Sources

Afghanistan: Sources said all govt officials, including governor, police chief, head of NDS office, ex-mujahedeen leader Mohammad Ismail Khan, deputy minister of interior for security, and the 207 Zafar Corps commander have surrendered after Herat fell to Taliban: TOLOnews

We can’t launch Novavax unless we get a license. The parent American company has some issues with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), those should be cleared by the end of October

– Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman and MD of Serum Institute of India

German DAX index breaches 16,000 mark for first time

One of the major reasons we could launch our COVID vaccine quickly was due to forthcoming grants, permission, encouragement to industries & considerably reduced licensing raj. We have a Drug Controller who responds even after office hrs

– Cyrus Poonawalla, SII Chairman-MD

Afghan official says the Taliban has captured the capital of Zabul province as part of relentless push

I am opposed to the mixing of vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin), there is no need to mix the doses

– Cyrus Poonawalla

India probes L&T’s employee welfare for alleged fraud

India is inspecting accounts of L&T Employees Welfare Foundation Pvt Ltd, a unit of Larsen and Toubro Ltd., for allegations of cheating and misappropriation of funds, people with knowledge of the matter said. (Reports Bloomberg)

No decision on stake sale in Petronet, IGL yet: BPCL

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Friday said no decision has yet been taken to sell its stake in Petronet LNG and Indraprastha Gas to help the company’s owner avoid making an open offer for the two gas companies.

Twelve nations decide not to recognise any Afghan govt imposed by force

Twelve nations, including the US, India and China, along with representatives of the UN and EU have decided that they would not recognise any government in Afghanistan that seeks to take control through the barrel of a gun, the State Department has said, amid the continued Taliban offensive across the war-torn country.

India may vaccinate 70% of eligible population by mid-March 2022: SBI report

Tamil Nadu slashes petrol price by Rs 3

The price of petrol in Tamil Nadu has been slashed by Rs 3, Finance Minister PT Palanivel Thiagarajan (PTR) announced during his maiden budget speech.

Delhi High Court adjourns the hearing to August 20 on the plea filed by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, challenging the vires of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)

The matter was adjourned as the concerned bench didn’t assemble.

Himachal Pradesh: A landslide occurred near Nalda village of Lahaul and Spiti district, affecting the flow of Chenab river

No loss of life or property reported so far

Taking congnisance of a media report which highlights low uptake of anti-COVID jabs among women, National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to chief secretaries of all states/UTs to take measures to close the gender gap in vaccination

– NCW

Afghanistan: The Taliban in provincial capitals

Source: AFP

The US is sending 3,000 troops back to Afghanistan to begin evacuations

With the Taliban sweeping across the country, US officials say Kabul could fall in 30 days: US media

Haryana: Farmers blocked GT Road

– https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1426081603910987779?s=20