LIVE BLOG

    Coronavirus Updates: India's fatality rate 2.15%, lowest since lockdown started

    02 Aug, 2020 | 12:00:04 AM IST
    Coronavirus Updates: India's fatality rate 2.15%, lowest since lockdown started
    With such a consistent increase in recoveries, the gap between recovered patients and active COVID-19 cases currently stands at 5,29,271. Active cases (5,65,103) are under medical supervision, the Union Health Ministry said.
    1 New Update
    11:59:50 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Wrap up: All you need to know

    • GST collections dips in July to Rs 87,422 cr
    • Amar Singh passes away in Singapore
    • Air India commences fifth phase of Vande Bharat
    • ByteDance offers to forgo stake in TikTok to clinch U.S. deal
    11:42:09 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    U.S. CDC reports 4,542,579 coronavirus cases

    • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 4,542,579 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 68,605 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,371 to 152,870.
    • The CDC reported its tally of cases of COVID-19, an illness caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on July 31, versus its previous report a day earlier.
    11:20:50 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Assam plans to reopen educational institutions from September 1 if Centre allows

    • Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday announced plans to reopen schools, colleges and educational institutions from September 1. However, the final decision would be taken by the Centre.
    • "The state government is considering a proposal to open the schools in Assam from September 1 and teachers will have to get a COVID-19 test between August 23 and 30," Sarma said in a press conference.
    11:03:25 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    232 police personnel test positive in last 24 hours in Maharashtra

    • A total of 232 new coronavirus cases were reported in Maharashtra Police on Saturday.
    • "In the last 24 hours, 232 police personnel have been found COVID-19 positive, while one police personnel died. The death toll of police personnel in the state is 103," Maharashtra police in a press release.
    • The total count of police personnel affected by COVID-19 in the state is 9,449 of which there are 1,932 active cases.
    10:42:42 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Iran says it has arrested head of US-based 'terrorist group'

    • Iran said Saturday it has arrested the head of a US-based "terrorist group" accused of being behind a deadly 2008 bombing in the southern city of Shiraz and of other, abortive attacks.
    • "Jamshid Sharmahd, who was leading armed and sabotage operations inside Iran, is now in the powerful hands" of Iran's security forces, state television said, citing an intelligence ministry statement.
    • It did not elaborate on where or when the leader of the opposition royalist group known as the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, or Tondar (Farsi for Thunder), was detained.
    10:41:28 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    WHO coronavirus review anticipates 'lengthy' pandemic

    • The World Health Organization on Saturday warned the coronavirus pandemic was likely to be "lengthy" as it met to evaluate the situation, six months after sounding the international alarm.
    • The WHO emergency committee "highlighted the anticipated lengthy duration of this COVID-19 pandemic" when it met on Friday, WHO said in a statement, warning of "the risk of response fatigue in the context of socio-economic pressures".
    10:05:04 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Pan-India 1000 genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 completed: Dr Harsh Vardhan

    • Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday announced the completion of pan-India 1000 genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 here on Saturday.
    • Dr Harsh Vardhan held a meeting with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and reviewed the COVID-19 activities of DBT, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and DBT-Autonomous Institutions (AIs).
    • According to an official release, the Department of Biotechnology had launched a Pan-India 1000 SARS--CoV-2 RNA Genome Sequencing programme in May this year to be done by Autonomous Institutes of DBT, collaborating with national laboratories and clinical organisations.
    09:40:09 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Health officials link US salmonella outbreak to red onions

    • Federal health officials say an outbreak of salmonella infecting nearly 400 people in more than 30 states has been linked to red onions, and identified a California company as the likely source.
    • The Food and Drug Administration said in a statement on Friday that Thomson International Inc of Bakersfield, California, has notified the food agency that it will be recalling all varieties of onions that could have come in contact with potentially contaminated red onions because of the risk of cross-contamination.
    09:21:17 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Record spikes in Asia as WHO issues grim virus warning

    • Southeast Asian countries reported record rises of new coronavirus cases on Saturday as the WHO warned the effects of the pandemic would be felt for decades and the scramble for a vaccine heated up.
    • Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus has killed more than 680,000 people and infected more than 17.5 million, according to an AFP tally.
    09:22:22 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Western Railways loses about Rs 1,959 crore due to pandemic

    • The total loss of earnings over Western Railway on account of COVID-19, has been approximately Rs. 1,959 crores, which includes Rs. 291 crores for suburban section & Rs. 1,668 crores for non-suburban: Western Railway
    • In spite of this, resulting in cancellation of tickets since 1st March till 31st July, Western Railway has ensured to refund Rs. 407.84 crores. In this refund amount, Mumbai division alone, has ensured refund of more than Rs 195.68 crores
    09:09:28 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar approves opening of 10 new women colleges in the state

    09:05:05 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    PM asks students to come up with innovative concepts

    • Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked students to prepare innovative models and forward them for their use in a big way.
    • Following an interaction with a student here through video conference after she came up with a model on embankments during the Smart India Hackathon (SIH), the Prime Minister asked her to make her presentation before the authorities concerned.
    • The student was M Shwetha, a fourth year student of M.Sc (Software Systems) of Sri Krishna Arts and Science College.
    08:30:05 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Industrial Disputes Act amendment to act as deterrent: GSIA

    • The recent move by the Goa government to amend Industrial Disputes Act will deter investors from setting up industrial units in the state, according to Goa State Industries Association (GSIA).
    • GSIA during its virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Friday expressed concern over the treatment meted out to industrial players by the Goa government, even amid COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Inspite of the fact that the economy of the State now largely depends on industrial sector, the government gives scant attention to the industries, GSIA President Vishwanath Kochrekar told reporters after the AGM.
    08:11:40 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    NASA astronauts riding SpaceX capsule poised for weekend return, weather permitting

    • The two NASA astronauts who rode to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's new Crew Dragon are due to return on Sunday after a nearly four-month voyage that marked NASA's first crewed mission from home soil in nine years.
    • U.S. astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who launched to the space station in May, are expected to board Crew Dragon around 5:30 p.m. ET and splash down at one of seven landing sites in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean at about 2:48 p.m. ET on Sunday.
    • "The hardest part was getting us launched, but the most important part is bringing us home," Behnken said during a farewell ceremony early on Saturday aboard the space station.
    07:53:08 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Coronavirus severely hits festive business, dampens celebratory mood on Eid al-Ada

    • The usual fervour surrounding Eid al-Adha celebrations was missing on Saturday in view of the coronavirus pandemic that has severely hit livestock sale for the festival of sacrifice and forced many to stay at home.
    • For the limited number of faithful who gathered at mosques, prayers were conducted observing social distancing norms. At Jama Masjid in Delhi, people brought their own mats and avoided hugging.
    07:31:08 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Air Marshal V R Chaudhari takes over as chief of IAF's Western Air Command

    • Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari on Saturday took charge as commander-in-chief of the Indian Air Force's Western Air Command (WAC) which looks after the security of the country's air space in the sensitive Ladakh sector as well as various other parts of north India.
    • He succeeded Air Marshal B Suresh who retired from service.
    • An alumni of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 29, 1982.
    07:15:14 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Thousands protest in Berlin against coronavirus restrictions

    • Thousands protested Germany's coronavirus restrictions Saturday in a Berlin demonstration that insisted “the end of the pandemic” has arrived — a declaration that comes just as authorities are voicing increasing concerns about an uptick in new infections.
    • With few masks in sight, a dense crowd marched through downtown Berlin from the Brandenburg Gate ahead of a rally on a wide boulevard that runs through the city's Tiergarten park.
    • Protesters who came from across the country held up homemade signs with slogans like “Corona, false alarm,” “We are being forced to wear a muzzle,” “Natural defence instead of vaccination" and “We are the second wave.”
    07:04:07 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    ByteDance offers to forgo stake in TikTok to clinch U.S. deal

    • China's ByteDance has agreed to divest the U.S. operations of TikTok completely in a bid to save a deal with the White House, after President Donald Trump said on Friday he had decided to ban the popular short-video app, two people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
    • ByteDance was previously seeking to keep a minority stake in the U.S. business of TikTok, which the White House had rejected. Under the new proposed deal, ByteDance would exit completely and Microsoft Corp would take over TikTok in the United States, the sources said
    06:42:20 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    C'garh: home treatment of COVID patients allowed on pilot basis

    • On a pilot basis, the Chhattisgarh government has allowed asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to undergo treatment in isolation at home, a health official said on Saturday.
    • In a letter to all district collectors on Friday, the state's Health Secretary Niharika Barik Singh said the district administration can allow `C' (asymptomatic) category COVID-19 patients to remain in home isolation, he said.
    06:20:31 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    BJP leader P Manikyala Rao passes away due to COVID-19

    • Pydikondala Manikyala Rao, former minister and senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed away due to COVID-19 on Saturday, BJP Andhra Pradesh chief informed.
    • As per Somu Veerraju, BJP state president, Manikyala Rao passed away in a private hospital in Krishna district's Vijayawada today.
    05:55:11 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Deputy CM Manish Sisodia writes to Home Minister Amit Shah, seeks immediate directions to LG to allow hotels and weekly markets in Delhi.

    05:50:16 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Languages of India will progress and develop further due to the changes brought in the education policy. This will not only increase India's knowledge but will also increase its unity

    - PM Modi

    05:42:15 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    India’s National Education Policy is about the spirit which reflects that we are shifting from the burden of the school bag, which does not last beyond school, to the boon of learning which helps for life, from simply memorising to critical thinking

    - Prime Minister Narendra Modi

    05:39:50 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    National Education Policy 2020 announced recently has been framed keeping in mind the aspirations of the youth of 21st century of our country

    - Prime Minister Narendra Modi

    05:41:32 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    We are focusing on the quality of education in India. Our attempts have been to make our education system the most advance and modern for students of our country

    - Prime Minister Narendra Modi

    05:15:29 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Rajnath Singh expresses condolences

    04:50:46 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Amar Singh passes away in Singapore

    04:44:17 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    India's COVID-19 fatality rate lowest since 1st lockdown

    • The country's total number of recoveries from COVID-19 has surged close to 11 lakh, while the case fatality rate has declined from 3.33 per cent in mid-June to 2.15 per cent, the lowest since lockdown was clamped in March, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.
    • In the global platform, India continues to register and maintain the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate, it said and asserted that this is a testimony to the focused, coordinated, pre-emptive, graded and evolving "test, track, treat" strategy and efforts of the Centre, states and Union Territories.
    04:31:10 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    J&K, Manipur, Nagaland, Uttarakhand join 'One Nation-One Ration Card' scheme

    • Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland and Uttarakhand have joined the 'One Nation-One Ration Card' scheme, taking the total number of states and union territories connected under the scheme to 24, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Saturday.
    • With this, about 65 crore beneficiaries, comprising 80 per cent of the total beneficiaries, covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) can now get their subsidised ration from anywhere in these 24 states and union territories, he said.
    • Remaining states/UTs are targeted to be integrated in national portability by March 2021, he added.
    04:18:16 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    GST collections dips in July

    • The collection for this month stood at Rs 87,422 cr; lower than Rs 90,917 cr in June: Finance Ministry.
    04:13:56 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Iran says it has arrested head of US-based 'terrorist group'

    03:57:04 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Hero MotoCorp July sales surpass 5 lakh units

    03:47:29 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Now, Indian expats in UAE can renew passport in just two days

    The Indian Consulate in Dubai can now accept passport applications from expatriates living across the UAE. Earlier, each emirate had its individual centre for verification.
    03:46:19 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    WHO suggests Ahmedabad COVID-19 measures as case study

    The WHO has suggested to take up initiatives in Ahmedabad like 'Dhanvantari Rath', 104 fever helpline, Sanjivani Van; and active participation of private hospitals in control and treatment as a case study for other cities in India and abroad.
    03:26:55 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Govt to come out with strategic sectors list soon

    The government will soon come out with a new public sector enterprises policy that will define strategic sectors which will not have more than four PSUs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

    As part of the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' package, the finance minister in May had announced that there will be a maximum of four public sector companies in strategic sectors, and state-owned firms in other segments will eventually be privatised.
    03:22:32 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Media scion James Murdoch quits News Corp board

    Former 21st Century Fox chief executive James Murdoch, the son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has resigned from News Corp's board citing clashes over editorial content.

    The 47-year-old once seen as his father's successor has been openly critical of some media coverage from publishing empire News Corp's outlets in recent months.
    03:42:36 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Crane collapse in AP leaves 11 including 4 HSL employees dead

    • As many as 11 people were killed at the Hindustan Shipyard Limited premises here on Saturday when a huge rail-mounted crane collapsed during a trial run, a top district official said.
    • Four of the victims were employees of HSL while the rest belonged to a contracting agency, District Collector Vinay Chand told reporters.
    03:05:24 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Smartphones, components worth Rs 11.5 lakh crores to be produced in India in next 5 years.

    - Ravi Shankar Prasad

    02:53:11 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Bharat Electronics gets new director of finance

    Dinesh Kumar Batra joined BEL at its Ghaziabad unit in 1984. In a career spanning over three-and-a-half decades, he served the company in various capacities in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru.
    02:48:01 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Assam to set up 40-member committee to analyse Centre's New Education Policy

    The panel will be divided into several sub-groups to study and analyse the various facets of the new policy.
    02:46:52 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Auto sales in July

    • Mahindra sales dip 36%
    • MG Motor retail sales increase by 40%
    • Toyota Kirloskar sales drop 48% to 5,386 units
    • Maruti total sales decline 1pc in July; domestic sales edge up
    • Hyundai Motor India sales drop 28%
    02:42:54 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    TNPL 2020 postponed again

    The fifth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League has been postponed for the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic with TNCA now hoping to host the T20 event either in November this year or March next year.
    02:40:06 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Ram temple is coming up with consent of all.

    - Kamal Nath

    02:37:47 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Air India commences fifth phase of Vande Bharat

    • The airline is expected to operate close to 700 flights between India and at least 53 countries during this phase.
    • In the fourth phase till July 30, the airline had operated 617 flights to bring back around 110,383 passengers.
    • The airline will continue to deploy the majority of its assets in the 5th phase, which will see ultra-long-haul flights to north America.
    • It will also operate extra flights to the UK, Canada and also service the Hong Kong route.
    02:24:40 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Google searches during pandemic hint at future increase in suicide

    Researchers have found that Google searches for information about financial difficulties and disaster relief have increased sharply. And with previous studies suggesting that suicide rates in the aftermath of national disasters may increase several months later - as seen after the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong - concerns are being raised.
    02:01:05 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    UAE begins start up operations at its first nuclear power plant

    02:00:37 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Passing of capital decentralisation bills 'unconstitutional': TDP

    "Yesterday was a black day in the history of Andhra Pradesh. TDP strongly condemns the manner, in which the bills related to the shifting of capital Amravati have been passed by the honourable governor. It is totally unconstitutional," a TDP spokesperson said.
    01:52:30 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    NASA Perseverance Mars rover healthy, exits 'safe mode'

    Flight controllers for NASAs Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission have returned the spacecraft to nominal flight operations; the spacecraft had entered a state called "safe mode" soon after it was placed on an interplanetary trajectory because a sensor indicated that part of the spacecraft was slightly colder than expected.
    01:36:25 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Russia plans mass vaccination from October

    A source told Reuters that Russia's first potential COVID-19 vaccine, developed by a state research facility, would secure local regulatory approval in August and be administered to health workers soon after that.
    01:31:59 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Samsung Elec to shutter its last computer factory in China

    Samsung becomes the latest to pull back from China, as companies rethink their production and supply chains amid rising Chinese labour costs, a U.S.-China trade war and the blow from the COVID-19 pandemic.
    01:28:39 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Second round of sero survey begins in Delhi

    The second round of sero-prevalence survey began in the national capital on Saturday, with the five-day exercise set to cover all districts and various demographic segments.
    01:26:42 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    NGT raps MoEF over monitoring of environmental norms

    • The National Green Tribunal has rapped the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) over compliance of conditions mentioned in environmental clearances granted for projects.
    • The green panel said compliance of conditions of environmental clearance must be monitored on a periodic basis, atleast once in a quarter.
    • A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said there is poor monitoring and there are huge gaps in laying down of conditions and its enforcement.
    • It asked the Environment Ministry to review and strengthen the mechanism for the purpose.
    • The directions came during a panel hearing of a plea seeking stricter mechanisms to ensure compliance of conditions mentioned in environmental clearances granted for projects.
    01:05:58 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Energy demand in India showing signs of recovery

    Energy demand in June contracted by 10.9 per cent year-on-year for the fourth consecutive month to 105.6 billion units but is showing signs of recovery due to gradual lifting of COVID-19 induced lockdown for certain economic activities, according to India Ratings and Research.
    01:02:35 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Fauci confident virus vaccine will get to Americans in 2021

    Looking ahead, Fauci said he's "cautiously optimistic that we will have a vaccine by the end of this year and as we go into 2021. I don't think it's dreaming ... I believe it's a reality (and) will be shown to be reality.” As the government's top infectious disease expert, Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
    12:50:40 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Rajasthan: 563 new cases, 10 dead

    The state currently has 11,979 active cases and 29,977 recovered cases. With the 10 deaths, a total of 690 people have lost their lives.
    12:47:20 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Chidambaram questions Mehbooba Mufti detention

    12:37:35 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    BJP launches protests in Kerala; demands Vijayan step down

    The BJP Kerala unit launched protest demonstrations across the state, demanding that the Pinarayi Vijayan government resign in the wake of unearthing of the gold smuggling racket.
    12:25:20 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Milk producers' protest in Maharashtra intensifies

    "Under the aegis of Milk Producers' Committee and All India Kisan Sabha, the milk producers have started protests across the state. Our demand is that the milk producers should get at least Rs 30 per litre as the price of milk for which the government should make a policy," General Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, Maharashtra, Ajit Navale said.
    12:22:45 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Army jawan killed by Pakistani firing along LoC

    An Army spokesperson said the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire agreement by opening fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri sector.
    12:02:22 PM IST, 01 August 2020

    Odisha: 1,062 new cases, highest single-day spike

    Total cases now 33,479, death toll rises to 187 with 10 more fatalities.
    Have something to say? Post your comment

    Comments are moderated and will be allowed if they are about the topic and not abusive.

    Characters remaining (1500)

    The Economic Times