India reported the year's biggest daily increase in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 25,320 new infections. India's COVID-19 deaths rose by 161 to 158,607 over the last 24 hours, Sunday's data show, compared to an average of about 100 since early February.
India is the third-most affected country globally with 11.36 million cases, behind the United States and Brazil.
India is looking at all "serious" post-vaccination side effects as it carries out the world's largest coronavirus immunisation drive, a top medical expert said today amid suspension of AstraZeneca shots in several countries over risk of blood clots. Panels are constantly monitoring "adverse events" for both Covishield and Covaxin, the expert added.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday announced that more than six coronavirus vaccines will come up in India. He also said that 1.84 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to people so far, while 23 crore tests have been conducted. India has developed two vaccines, which have been given to 71 countries. Many more nations are seeking the vaccines, and these are not little-known nations...Canada, Brazil and other developed countries are using Indian vaccines with a great zeal," he said.
More than 2.82 crore (2,82,18,457) vaccine doses have been administered through 4,86,314 sessions in India till now.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Saturday recorded 15,602 fresh COVID-19 cases and 88 deaths, taking the tally to 22,97,793 and the count to 52,811, the state Health department said.
With a total of 1.13 crore infections, India has logged the second-highest number of Covid infections after the United States in the world.
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Dutch health officials said they had suspended the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine on Sunday for two weeks after "possible side effects" were reported in Denmark and Norway. Read Here
States like Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are showing a steep rise in the daily new COVID-19 cases and have accounted for 87.73 per cent of the new instances of the disease reported in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
Maharashtra registered the highest daily new cases at 15,602, followed by Kerala with 2,035 and Punjab 1,510 new cases.
India's total COVID-19 active caseload has reached 2.10 lakh, the ministry said adding Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab account for 76.93 per cent of India's total active cases.
Ireland suspended the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Sunday, following reports of blood clots in adults who received the shot in Norway.
"The administration of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is temporarily deferred from this morning, Sunday 14th March," a health ministry spokesman told AFP.
The move came after Ireland's National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended suspending the AstraZeneca rollout "on the precautionary principal" after "a report from the Norwegian Medicines Agency of four new reports of serious blood clotting events in adults after vaccination".
"It has not been concluded that there is any link" between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the blood clot cases and action has been taken "pending receipt of further information", Ireland's deputy chief medical officer Ronan Glynn said in a statement.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin will start his election campaign from former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's birth place Thiruvaarur from tomorrow for the Assembly polls, reported news agency ANI.
Stalin will campaign in Thiruvaarur, Mannargudi, and Nannilam Assembly constituencies on March 15. He is seeking another term from Kolathur constituency.
The DMK will contest 173 seats out of the total 234, while 187 will contest under the DMK symbol.
Mamta Banerjee's made the first public appearance in Kolkata after she was allegedly attacked by some people in Nandigram earlier this week.
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council and BJP leader Pravin Darekar today said the state government should suspend police officer Sachin Waze, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case, reported news agency ANI.
"After the arrest of Sachin Waze, at least now the government should suspend him and show that the government does not support him or save him. But will the government do this?" Mr Darekar said.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation agency in the case.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former National President of Rashtriya Kisan Morcha, Vijaypal Singh Tomar today slammed Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait saying that Mr Tikait will lose his security deposit a third time if he contests elections, reported news agency ANI.
"Rakesh Tikait is playing in the hands of the opposition parties, he will come to know the reality if he contests the election. The same Rakesh Tikait has forfeited deposit in the elections twice before and if he contests the election, it will be forfeited again," Vijaypal Singh Tomar told news agency ANI.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that despite being in pain she will continue to fight boldly and called on people to "never bow down to cowardice", reported news agency ANI.
"We will continue to fight boldly! I'm still in a lot of pain, but I feel the pain of my people even more. In this fight to protect our revered land, we have suffered a lot and will suffer more but we will NEVER bow down to COWARDICE!," tweeted Mamata Banerjee.
Ms Banerjee is conducting a roadshow, days after sustaining injuries during election campaigning, on a wheelchair from Gandhi Murti to Hazra in Kolkata today. She is scheduled to address a public rally at Hazra at the end of the rally.
A special stage has been set up for West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata from where she will conduct a roadshow on a wheelchair to Hazra, reported news agency ANI.
Along with the stage, ramps have also been installed at the location.
It will be her first public appearance after she was allegedly attacked by some in Nandigram earlier this week. On March 10, the chief minister, who was on a two-day visit to Nandigram from where she filed her nomination, alleged that she was pushed by a few unidentified people during her election campaigning.
As the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive is underway in India, the country has nearly administered three crore cumulative vaccination doses with a total of 2,97,38,409 through 5,10,400 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today, reported news agency ANI.
According to the health ministry, a total of 2,91,92,547 vaccine doses have been administered as per the provisional report till 7 pm today.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today held a meeting with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and asked for more Covid-19 vaccines and help in other health-related issues of the state.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) today postponed the release of its manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal for the third time but did not cite any reason it.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA P Saravanan has joined the BJP in Chennai ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
Speaking to news agency ANI, P Saravanan said: "I was a member of BJp about six years ago. Today, I have joined this party because it has able leadership led by prime minister Narendra Modi. My discussion for joining BJP was underway for the past 2-3 months and today I have joined."
A 20-year-old man was arrested in a village for allegedly killing his father, police said on Sunday.
Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today dismissed any possibilities of him contesting from two constituencies for upcoming Kerala Assembly polls, reported news agency ANI.
"As I have already made clear yesterday, I will contest only from one seat," he said.
When asked who will be contesting from the Nemom constituency, he said, "Wait to know till the candidate list is released."
Sharing some pictures on his Twitter handle, Mr Rawat wrote: "May this festival of spring brings happiness, prosperity, and well-being in everyone's life."
Tirath Singh Rawat has replaced Trivendra Singh Rawat as the new chief minister of Uttarakhand.
"Several residents of Vikas Kunj reported major leakages in the GK Main leading to water entering the basement of their homes, causing a threat to the buildings. Taking immediate cognisance of the situation, DJB started the repair work," the board tweeted.
Airports in the United States saw their largest number of passengers in a year on Friday, data showed, following a shuddering halt in travel brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to meet U.S. President Joe Biden on April 9, the first foreign leader to meet the president in the White House, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday.
Early trends in the counting of votes today showed the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress set for a landslide victory in the Andhra Pradesh local body polls held on Wednesday. The ruling party was leading in eight municipal corporations and was ahead in 54 of the municipalities and nagar panchayats where the results were beginning to be declared. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) came a distant second with three leads in the second category.
BJP Tamil Nadu president L Murugan has said that DMDK's exit from the AIADMK-led coalition for the state Assembly elections will not affect the winning chances of the alliance, reported news agency ANI.
Addressing a press conference after the BJP central election committee (CEC) meeting on Saturday he said, "We have informed our interests to the CEC. The list of BJP's candidates will be announced soon."
Trinamool Congress Party today cancelled the election manifesto's release which was scheduled for today. The next date will be announced later, reported news agency ANI.
Earlier, the party was scheduled to release its manifesto on March 11. However, the release was cancelled following an alleged attack on party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Ms Banerjee will today conduct a roadshow, days after sustaining injuries during election campaigning, on a wheelchair. She will address a public rally at Hazra this afternoon. This will be her first public appearance since the "attack" on her in Nandigram.
One terrorist has been killed in an encounter with security forces in the Rawalpora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian today, the police said. One M4 rifle and some armour piercing rounds have recovered from encounter site, they said.
India reported 25,320 fresh cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours - the highest daily rise in almost three months - taking the total tally to over 1.13 crore cases, the Health Ministry data this morning showed.
Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP assumes lead in 54 of the 75 seats in Andhra Pradesh local body polls. N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party leading in three.
Six people were killed and six others were injured after a lorry hit an autorickshaw in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district in the early hours of today, the police said.
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry (MoCA) has proposed 392 new routes under its flagship scheme UDAN 4.1 bidding process on the commencement of the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav".
The incident in Bengal's Nandigram in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured was an accident and not a planned attack, according to the report of two poll observers submitted before the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will present Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze before a city court today, to demand his custody. The police officer was arrested late last night in connection with the NIA's probe into the recovery of explosives from a car parked near Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai.
A farmer in Odisha's Mayurbhanj has built an electric four-wheeler that runs on a solar-powered battery. The car built by Sushil Agarwal is powered by 850 Watts motor, 100 Ah/ 54 Volts of battery and can run 300 km on a single charge.
Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP assumes lead in 52 of the 75 seats in Andhra Pradesh local body polls. N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party leading in three.
It is no longer mandatory for devotees to show Covid-negative certificate at the Haridwar Kumbh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat
Mamata Banerjee will make her first public appearance today afternoon after sustaining injuries to her leg during a rally in Bengal's Nandigram, the Trinamool Congress said. She will lead a rally on wheelchair and address the crowd at the end in Hazra. The party said that it will not release its election manifesto today.
BJP has finalised the names of almost 80 more candidates for the third and fourth phase of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections and will announce them today, said party leader Rajib Banerjee.
"We mainly spoke about the third and fourth phase, and I think almost 80 seats have been finalised. The announcement will be made tomorrow," said Mr Banerjee.
He added that he wants to contest from his previous seat - Domjur - and that he has made his intentions clear to the party.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday ordered hotels and restaurants in the state to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols in their premises and not force the state to enforce drastic measures like lockdown.