Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

India records more than 50,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time since November

India records more than 50,000 new Covid-19 cases for the first time since November

INDIA recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday (25) for the first time since November as a new wave of infections takes hold a year after one of the world's tightest Covid-19 lockdowns was imposed.

The government and Indian vaccine giant the Serum Institute meanwhile declined to comment on reports that New Delhi is restricting exports to prioritise domestic needs for its faltering inoculation drive.


The nation of 1.3 billion people was this month overtaken by Brazil as the second-most infected country after cases dipped in December and January from a peak of nearly 100,000 per day in September.

But recent weeks have seen an uptick, with health ministry data on Thursday showing almost 54,000 new infections over the previous 24 hours.

India's strict lockdown has been steadily eased over the past year and in recent months most activity, including weddings, religious festivals and some cricket matches, returned to normal.

Now many regions are reimposing curbs, particularly in the hard-hit western state of Maharashtra where officials have launched random virus checks in crowded areas in the local capital Mumbai.

"Just to enter a mall, you have to give Rs 250 ($3.50) over here, (and) that too with a queue of one hour," said Mumbai resident Mohit Jain as he lined up to enter a shopping mall.

"It will cause a lot of inconvenience for the malls as well as for the customers also," he told AFP.

The country's known coronavirus cases are approaching 12 million, with more than 160,000 deaths.

The health ministry said Wednesday (24) that the variants first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil have been found in India, but not in 'numbers sufficient to either establish (a) direct relationship or explain the rapid increase in cases in some states'.

India meanwhile has administered more than 53 million vaccine shots.

This week, it decided to allow all over-45s to be inoculated as it attempts to vaccinate 300 million people by August.

India is a major vaccine supplier to poorer nations, having so far sent more than 60 million doses to 76 countries, mostly AstraZeneca shots manufactured by the Serum Institute.

More For You

Iqbal Mohamed

Asian MP 'concerned' over proposed ban on first-cousin marriages

A BRITISH INDIAN MP has expressed his concerns over a new bill tabled in the House of Commons that seeks to ban marriages between first cousins over the greater risk of children’s birth defects associated with the practice.

The Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill got its first reading in Parliament on Tuesday (10) when backbench Tory MP Richard Holden used the 10-Minute Rule process to introduce his proposals.

Keep ReadingShow less
Salah scored a decisive penalty in the 63rd minute to help Liverpool overcome Girona, debutants in the tournament. (Photo: Getty Images)
Salah scored a decisive penalty in the 63rd minute to help Liverpool overcome Girona, debutants in the tournament. (Photo: Getty Images)

Champions League: Liverpool extend winning run; Real Madrid back on track

MOHAMED SALAH'S penalty maintained Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Real Madrid returned to winning ways with a victory over Serie A leaders Atalanta.

Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain secured a crucial win against Salzburg, and Bayer Leverkusen edged past Inter Milan to move into second place in their group standings. Aston Villa, participating in the competition for the first time in 41 years, continued their impressive form with a 3-2 win over Leipzig, leaving them in third place.

Keep ReadingShow less
Healthcare workers hold placards as they demonstrate on Westminster Bridge, near to St Thomas' Hospital in London on May 1, 2023. (Photo: Getty Images)
Healthcare workers hold placards as they demonstrate on Westminster Bridge, near to St Thomas' Hospital in London on May 1, 2023. (Photo: Getty Images)

Teachers, nurses warn of strikes over 2.8 per cent pay rise proposal

TEACHERS and nurses may strike after the government recommended a 2.8 per cent pay rise for public sector workers for the next financial year.

Ministers cautioned that higher pay awards would require cuts in Whitehall budgets.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man walks past a mural that says ‘Northern Ireland’, on Sandy Row in Belfast, Northern Ireland, August 11, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)
A man walks past a mural that says ‘Northern Ireland’, on Sandy Row in Belfast, Northern Ireland, August 11, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Northern Ireland approves extension of post-Brexit trade rules

NORTHERN Ireland’s devolved government has voted to continue implementing post-Brexit trading arrangements under the Windsor Framework, a deal signed between London and the European Union in February 2023.

The vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont extended the arrangement for four years.

Keep ReadingShow less