News highlights: Kerala vaccinates nearly 500,000 beneficiaries in a single day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Indian Police Service (IPS) at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on Saturday via video conferencing.

"At 11 AM tomorrow, 31st July, will interact with IPS probationers from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy. These probationers will go on to hold important police responsibilities in the years to come," Modi tweeted.

Punjab on Friday reported 49 new Covid cases, taking the total count to 5,99,053, officials said. No Covid-related death was reported on Friday, they said. Read more

Kerala on Friday administered vaccine doses to record 496,619 eligible beneficiaries, state health minister Veena George said, adding such record vaccination is only possible if the state gets enough supply of vaccines.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday the temporary decline in cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country should not make citizens complacent, adding the decline should be considered as a “breathing space” to get their act together in order to ensure that any subsequent health challenges can be faced with greater confidence and commitment. Read more

Maharashtra's caseload of the Covid-19 disease climbed to 6,296,756 on Friday after 6,600 new cases were logged in the last 24 hours. As many as 7,431 patients recovered while 231 succumbed to the viral disease, taking the the total recoveries and deaths to 6,083,319 and 132,566 respectively.

The Centre said on Friday that the trajectory of Covid-19 cases is now recording a sustained and considerable decline after the peak in May this year. However, the Centre pointed out that Maharashtra and Kerala were still recording a high number of cases and certain northeastern states were showing an upward Covid-19 trend.

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday issued fresh summons to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and his son Hrishikesh, for questioning in connection with an alleged money laundering case. The ED has asked them to appear before it on Monday.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. The CM is on a two-day visit to Delhi to meet with the BJP's central leadership, his first such visit after assuming office.

Bommai is expected to discuss some key issues with the leaders including the state cabinet expansion.

Earlier he met with party president JP Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh.

The twelfth round of corps commander-level talks between India and China would be held in Ladakh sector on Saturday (July 31). The talks would focus on disengagement in Hot Springs-Gogra sector.

The talks have been scheduled for 10.30am at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Defexpo-2022 has been scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, in March 2022, reports ANI citing officials from the ministry of defence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his wishes to class 12 students for the CBSE results today. "They adopted to the new normal and gave their best. Proud of them!" he tweeted.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that her meeting with Sharad Pawar for political purpose was successful. "Democracy must go on. Our slogan is 'save democracy save country'. We support farmers' issues too. We'll come here every 2 months," she said, reports ANI.

With 63 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours, Delhi's cases tally reached 1,436,207 and the death toll climbed to 25,052, reports ANI.

Two CRPF jawans and a policeman were injured in a grenade attack in Baramulla town. Details awaited: Jammu and Kashmir Police.

India has extended curbs on international flights till August 31, cargo operations have been exempted.

The world’s first study of a combination between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine (Sputnik Light) in Azerbaijan shows no serious adverse events or Covid-19 infection cases following the vaccination, says Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)

The rescue operation to locate 20 people missing after a cloudburst in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar resumed Friday after remaining suspended for hours together owing to inclement weather, officials said.

Puducherry logged 90 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours pushing the overall tally to 1,20,815, a senior official of the Department of Health said on Friday.

Hong Kong man gets 9 years in jail in first trial under China-imposed national security law, reports AFP.

A government warehouse storing movies, documents and antique projectors from Brazil's film industry caught fire Thursday night in Sao Paulo.

Thailand banned on Friday the dissemination of "false messages" that affect security, drawing accusations from media groups that it is trying to crack down on criticism of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Supreme Court takes suo motu cognizance of the alleged killing of Additional District Judge from Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has described the Delta variant of the coronavirus to be as contagious as chickenpox and could cause severe illness, the New York Times reported, citing an internal CDC document.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain over some parts of Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan during the next two hours.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the plea of senior journalist N Ram seeking an independent probe by a sitting or a retired judge into the Pegasus snooping matter.

Vedanta moves Supreme Court seeking its direction to continue operating the Tuticorin plant in Tamil Nadu for producing Medical Oxygen.

South Africa's Tatjana Schoenmaker was the star of the day, setting the first individual swimming world record at the Tokyo Olympics.

Four militants belonging to Niki Sumi faction of NSCN (K) arrested in Nagaland's Phek district. Arms, ammunition seized from their possession: Assam Rifles.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to announce Class XII result today, at 2pm.

With coronavirus deaths rising in Myanmar, allegations are growing from residents and human rights activists that the military government, which seized control in February, is using the pandemic to consolidate power and crush opposition.

National Highway 707 blocked near Himachal Pradesh's Barwas due to landslide in Sirmaur District's Kamrau tehsil.

India reports 44,230 new Covid-19 cases, 42,360 recoveries, and 555 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry

Total cases: 3,15,72,344

Active cases: 4,05,155

Total recoveries: 3,07,43,972

Death toll: 4,23,217

Total vaccination: 45,60,33,754

Sensex drops 10.56 points to 52,642.51 in opening session; Nifty down 8.90 poits at 15,769.55.

Boxing, Women's Welterweight (64-69kg), Quarterfinal 2: Lovlina Borgohain beats Chinese Taipei's Chin-Chen Nien 4-1, assured of a medal.

The delta variant of the coronavirus has now triggered a fourth wave of the pandemic in the Middle East, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, adding that the surge in Covid-19 infections and deaths is primarily being reported among people who are yet to be vaccinated.

A total of 204 people including locals and tourists stranded in different locations in the Lahaul-Spiti district: Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority.

Three persons, including a minor, were killed and four injured when the roof of a house collapsed on them due to heavy rains in this Uttar Pradesh district, police said on Friday.

Australia's largest city, Sydney, on Friday reported a slight easing in locally acquired cases of Covid-19 amid a further tightening of restrictions in the worst-affected suburbs, with the military summoned to help enforce lockdown rules.

The International Space Station (ISS) was thrown briefly out of control on Thursday when jet thrusters of a newly arrived Russian research module inadvertently fired a few hours after it was docked to the orbiting outpost, NASA officials said.

Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai to meet PM Narendra Modi in Delhi today. He will also be meeting Union Ministers during his visit to the national capital

Scientific studies with poor methodology and inaccurate findings are exacerbating a Covid-19 misinformation crisis that is discouraging vaccination and putting lives at risk.

Saudi Arabia announced Friday it would reopen its borders to fully vaccinated foreign tourists after a 17-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the state news agency said.

The Supreme Court is on Friday set to hear a petition filed by former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, seeking protection from any "coercive action", in the money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The delta variant has led to a surge in coronavirus outbreaks triggering a "fourth wave" in the Middle East, where vaccination rates remain low, said the World Health Organization (WHO).

A court in Uttar Pradesh will on Friday resume the hearing of Sri Krishna Janmabhumi suit.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Thursday recommended granting permission for trials of mixing Covid-19 vaccines--Covaxin and Covishield--said sources, reports news agency ANI.

US president Joe Biden on Thursday (local time) called on all states and local governments to use aid funding they have received to give 100 dollars to anyone who gets fully vaccinated.